


Closer

by lulumonnie



Series: lou's star wars fics [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Clone Trooper Culture (Star Wars), Clone Troopers Speak Mando'a (Star Wars), Fix-It, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Get Fucked Palpatine, Getting Together, I refuse to accept Order 66 so I tweaked canon a tiny bit to make Palpatine fail, Introspection, Investigations, M/M, Minor Canonical Character Deaths, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Order 66 Happened Differently (Star Wars), POV Alternating, Poetry, Slow Burn, So does Cody, Tea and Poetry play a role because this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, They all need therapy, except Palpatine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29208753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lulumonnie/pseuds/lulumonnie
Summary: Over the clone wars a friendship forms between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his commander Cody. When they discover a mystery surrounding the clones and their creation, the two have to investigate to save the vode, the Jedi and the Republic itself. Over the course of their investigation they grow closer and closer.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: lou's star wars fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131977
Comments: 102
Kudos: 228





	1. Cody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall!! so for anyone who's been reading my dinluke fanfic, y'all know that this was coming. I've been obsessed with this pairing for a while now and I couldn't stop myself from writing this.  
> i currently have 16 chapters planned but i might deviate from that a bit, depending on how i feel. ill probably upload every two days if i get to it, maybe every day if i have the time.

_‘Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings._

_Not all things are blest, but the_

_seeds of all things are blest._

_The blessing is in the seed.’_

_\- Elegy in Joy, Muriel Rukeyeser_

When Cody first saw the man he’d later call General, he wasn’t Cody yet. To his _vode,_ he was _Kote._ To everyone else, he was CC-2224. The Kaminoans didn’t accept the fact that the _vode_ went by names instead of the surgically assigned numbers they’d been given. Kote and his brothers didn’t know enough about the galaxy or what it meant to be a sentient being to fully understand why the idea of being nothing but another number among millions sat so wrongly with them. In fact, apart from the _munit videk,_ Kote hadn’t seen anyone who didn’t look like him before his future general. He’d seen holovideos, obviously, and he’d heard Jango talk to people who weren’t _vode_ or Kaminoans, but the entire facility had been so covert that Kote hadn’t actually seen another human until one fateful day when a drenched _jetii_ arrived on Kamino. 

It was only a short glimpse, nothing more. He looked up from his tray in the mess hall, surrounded by his brothers, listening to Rex getting a ribbing from Wolffe next to him. Kote didn’t know what exactly had made him look up at that specific moment. It might have been the slight movement out of the corner of his eye that Jango always told the Command batch to watch out for. It might’ve been sheer boredom. Much later, when he told his general about seeing him for the first time, Kenobi had joked that it might have been Cody’s sixth sense for his general’s whereabouts. 

Whatever the case, Kote got a short glimpse of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the days when he was not a general, when he was only a knight and not the youngest member of the Jedi council. In the days where he still had a padawan, where he didn’t spend his supposed off-hours pouring over battle maps and potential strategies with Cody. 

It had stuck with Kote. The impression of this drenched Jedi Knight who looked mostly confused and shocked had stuck with Kote until his name was Cody, until he was first deployed as a Commander. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi had always been an attractive man, from the moment Kote had first laid eyes on him. He knew that his brothers in the 212th agreed with him, heck, half the galaxy agreed with him. There was a reason Kenobi had become the Order’s poster boy. The image he portrayed to the outside was one of competence veiled under layers of flirting, smiling and negotiating. To an extent, that was what Kote saw that day. But for the most part, Kenobi just seemed a bit lost. He’d looked so… normal, so human in his giant brown coat, his hair wet and a mess. Kote hadn’t been able to see the colour of Kenobi’s eyes but later he was sure that they would’ve been twinkling in that special way that indicated that Kenobi had just discovered something very interesting that had the potential to be either detrimental or absolutely fascinating. 

When the Kaminoans had announced to the Command batch that the Jedi had finally come for them, Kote realised that the man he’d been so fascinated by, this very _human_ man had been a _jetii._

‘The _jetii_ came?’, Rex had asked excitedly. Kote could relate to the sparkle in his _vod’ika’s_ eyes. 

‘Yes’, the longneck said, unimpressed. ‘Do learn to listen, CT-7567.’

Only long years of training in stoicism stopped Kote from snarling at the damn instructor. 

‘Yes, sir!’, Rex had answered immediately, masking his hurt behind a fragile mask that made Kote want to reach out and give his brother a hug. He couldn’t, not while the Kaminoans were around, but the urge was hard to control. 

He did so, when the _di’kutla_ Kaminoan was gone. 

‘I saw one of them’, he informed Rex and the rest of the command batch that had been standing around. 

Wolffe stared at him interestedly while Bly and Fox immediately started bombarding Kote with questions. 

‘What did they look like?’, Bly asked, eyes wide. 

‘Did they have their lightsaber on?’, was Fox’s question. 

‘Where did you see them?’, Rex asked from Kote’s side. He still had one arm wrapped around his brother’s shoulder. 

‘I saw him in the mess hall, walking with the longnecks’, Kote explained. ‘He looked… well human? Wore a long robe. He was wet. And no, Fox of course he didn’t have his lightsaber on, why would he?’

‘I don’t know, if I had a lightsaber it would be on constantly’, Fox mumbled. 

‘Doesn’t that make it run out of battery?’, Bly asked. 

‘Lightsabers don’t have a battery, _di’kut’,_ Wolffe grumbled, elbowing Bly. 

‘They could! How would you even know?’

Wolffe rolled his eyes. 

‘How stupid would that be? You’re in the middle of some _jetii_ fight and suddenly your lightsaber runs out of battery? What do you do then? Say _oh sorry evil sith dude, give me a sec, I gotta switch my batteries real quick?’,_ Wolffe continued. 

Bly frowned. 

‘Well maybe they work like blasters? With charges?’, he mused. The five of them were quiet for a while, contemplating the technicalities of a lightsaber. 

‘If you’re lucky, you’ll get to ask your generals’, a voice from behind came. Kote looked over his shoulder to see Alpha-17. 

‘Enough talking, get back to training’, Alpha-17 said, surveying the group with a mildly interested gaze. 

‘Yes, sir’, they all echoed and Kote forgot about the _jetii_ for a while. The war had come at last and they had to be prepared to be deployed at a moment’s notice. 

* * *

It wasn’t until a few weeks into the war that he thought of the _jetii_ he’d seen on Kamino again. Kote, who was now named Cody, since the younger shinies hadn’t learnt _Mando’a_ from Jango and couldn’t pronounce it correctly, had been reassigned as Marshal Commander alongside a _jetii_ General. 

‘His name’s General Obi-Wan Kenobi’, had been Alpha-17’s curt words. ‘You’ll fit him. Similar minds.’

Cody mused that those words had been the closest he’d ever gotten to a compliment from the older man. He turned the sentence over in his head when he was standing on the bridge of the _Negotiator,_ awaiting his new General. 

When the doors of the bridge slid open, Cody was happy about his helmet, since the sight of the _jetii_ surprised him so much that he let his mouth fall open for a second. 

It was the same man as the one Cody had seen on Kamino, the same man that had looked so interested and so lost in the pristine white halls of the clone lab. He had shorter hair now, a gorgeous copper that was parted on the side. His beard was also fuller than Cody remembered. He was wearing the same sandy brown tunic he’d been wearing on Kamino and a small part of Cody yelled _where is his armour?_ when he was suddenly distracted by startlingly blue eyes. They were incredibly reflective and they almost seemed to… sparkle with something. Be it mischief or interest or something else, it was incredibly intriguing to Cody. 

‘Hello there’, General Kenobi said and Cody stood to attention after taking off his bucket. ‘I’m Obi-Wan Kenobi.’

‘Glad to meet you, General Kenobi, sir!’, Cody said, saluting. ‘I’m Clone Commander CC-2224.’

General Kenobi winced at Cody’s words. 

‘Sir?’, Cody asked. 

‘Oh, I’m sorry Commander, I’m afraid I’m not used to my new title yet’, Kenobi said with a wistful smile on his face. ‘No matter. I know that you and your brothers sometimes choose names. If you wish, I could address you with your preferred name.’

Cody stared at Kenobi for a second before remembering himself. He’d never heard of anyone but the _vode_ call the clones brothers. The Kaminoans only referred to them as clones and so did all the nat-borns he’d encountered up until now.

‘My name is Cody, sir. You- you’re welcome to call me Cody, sir’, Cody said. 

His general smiled warmly and Cody couldn’t really help himself so he smiled back, tentatively. He wasn’t used to smiling at anyone but his brothers. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t feel strange to smile at Kenobi. 

* * *

In the months that followed, Cody quickly realised that the general didn’t meet most of his expectations for nat-borns. The first time he’d seen Kenobi gracefully jump from one building to the next, Cody’s heart had practically stopped. He hadn’t shown his complete and utter amazement, too occupied with punching a commando droid in the face, but the sight had burnt itself into his memory. 

General Kenobi didn’t just defy physics at any given moment, he also defied what Cody had thought were strict hierarchical rules. He laughed and joked with Cody and with the rest of his subordinates and he cared for them; after the first battle together, a minor scuffle on a planet that Cody didn’t remember precisely, his general had shown true warmth, true compassion to the few soldiers they had lost. It took Cody completely aback when the general quietly asked him whether he and his brothers would agree to do the remembrances alongside him. 

‘Sir?’, Cody asked. 

‘I understand that this might be too much to ask, but I wish to honour the fallen in a way that fits with their culture’, Kenobi replied. ‘If I would be intruding, I completely understand.’

‘No- that’s not it, sir. I just- I didn’t expect you to…’

‘Care?’, the general said, a painful expression on his face. Cody was quiet for a moment.

‘Not about- _vode_ culture, sir’, he finally answered. His quiet words were loud in the silence of the general’s quarters, where Kenobi had asked him the question. 

The Jedi took a deep breath, his face contorted in a mixture of sadness and what seemed like distaste. 

‘I know that others may have made you feel this way, but Cody, I promise you, to me you and your brothers are just as important as any other sentient being. The dead, no matter what culture or species deserve to be honoured in a way that fits their beliefs’, Kenobi said, looking down at the datapads full of information splayed out on his desk.

Cody stared at the _jetii_ who continued to surprise him with every action. 

‘Sir- I- thank you. I’m sure the _vode_ would appreciate you honouring the fallen’, he finally stuttered. 

And so, Cody’s general joined them in their remembrances, repeating the _Mando’a_ chant of _Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum_ flawlessly. He joined them every time, remembering the ever-growing list of names, never failing to mention a single fallen soldier. Cody’s respect for his general grew with every passing moment, with every battle where the _jetii_ chose to risk his life for his soldiers, where he stood with them, with Cody, shoulder to shoulder, facing the onslaught like he was just another cog in the machine, like he wasn’t their general who could very easily hang back and let his subordinates die without so much as a second glance from the higher ups. 

* * *

When they were called to Ryloth to liberate the planet from the hands of the separatists, Cody had already served his general for a few months. He had started to become accustomed to the other’s kindness, to his impossible tendency to flirt with just about anything that moved, to his selflessness and his willingness to sacrifice himself for every one of the shinies. Cody had also gotten used to picking up the general’s lightsaber whenever the other happened to drop it, which, for Jedi standards was quite a lot. The first time he had heard Kenobi’s lecture towards his old Padawan Skywalker about the lightsaber being Skywalker’s life, Cody had had to suppress a snort. 

He felt a weird form of exasperated fondness for the two shinies who were so in awe of their new general that they entirely forgot about protocol or the fact that there were several rabid beasts bent on killing each and every one of them that were only held at bay by the general’s mind. 

‘Quiet, rookie’, he snapped, turning back to Kenobi who was leading the Gutkurr into the narrow gorge, somehow dropping his lightsaber in the duration. 

‘Shoot the bridge!’, Kenobi yelled and his troops obeyed. 

When he handed the lightsaber back to Kenobi, the other smiled at him in that indescribably warm way that always made Cody feel a little less like a number. 

‘What would I do without you, commander?’, Kenobi said. 

‘I’m sure you would be fine, sir. Although you might have to search for the ‘saber more’, Cody answered. Kenobi huffed out a tiny laugh and Cody grinned underneath his helmet. 

* * *

Months later, in the second battle of Geonosis, laughter was the furthest from Cody’s mind. Not when he saw his general’s ship go down as his stomach dropped. A sick feeling of terror settled deep in his gut and it didn’t let up until the blasted battle was over and done with and he could lightly scold his self-sacrificing _di’kut_ of a general. 

‘Sir, you should’ve sat back, you’re injured’, he chided as he helped Kenobi up. 

‘I assure you, I’m perfectly fine, Cody’, the general said, trying for one of his disarming smiles that only lost its potency because he was wincing. 

‘Sir you’re limping.’

‘Details, my dear commander-’

‘Sir, with all due respect, and forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I don’t think broken ribs and a near-death experience counts as details.’

Kenobi smiled some more. 

‘I suppose you have a point, Cody. But don’t feel like you need to hold your tongue around me. I’m happy to hear your honest opinion.’

‘Well, if you say so’, Cody continued. ‘Then I can say that you’d better stay in the _osik’la_ bacta tank until you’re healed or I’m telling Helix to confine you in the med bay for three days. Sir.’

Kenobi laughed, one of the rare real laughs that wasn’t for the sake of another slimy politician. 

‘My dear, you drive quite a hard bargain.’

‘Just looking out for your health, sir’, Cody responded. 

‘It is very appreciated, commander. I’d better see you in there too’, Kenobi added, turning a stern gaze towards Cody who nodded reluctantly. 

‘I guess that’s fair.’

In the end, his general had stayed in the bacta tank until he was healed up, but then they were immediately dragged into yet another plot involving brain worms and a bulbous queen that Cody was sure was a nightmare come alive. 

‘I can’t tell you how glad I am to leave this planet’, Kenobi said when he and Cody had finally settled in to go over reports as their ship got ready to return to Coruscant for a while. 

‘You and me both, sir’, Cody said, running his hands over his face. ‘I just hope none of the troopers get nightmares from those damn worms.’

‘Nasty business’, Kenobi agreed. ‘I’m not supposed to show dislike of any kind, but if you were to ask me to rank my favourite planets, Geonosis would be on the bottom of that list.’

‘Something to do with the first battle?’, Cody asked. 

Kenobi grimaced. 

‘Yes. Something about starting a war and also being nearly eaten by an alacky makes it not my fondest memory.’

‘Perfectly understandable, sir’, Cody said, unable to hide a grin at Kenobi’s dry tone. 

‘Would you like a cup of tea, Cody?’, Kenobi asked, getting up and walking towards the small kitchenette. ‘I need something warm to keep me from falling asleep on the tenth request from the Senate about something completely irrelevant.’

‘I-I’ve never had tea, sir’, Cody admitted. Kenobi twirled around, a shocked look on his face. 

‘Oh my dear, I’ve clearly failed as your friend’, he exclaimed. ‘I’ll get my best tea.’

Cody tried to ignore how nice it felt to be called a friend by his general. He’d never really had a friend that didn’t look exactly like him. 

‘Sir, you don’t need to waste your tea on me, it’s-’

‘Oh, Cody, it isn’t a waste. I’m just shocked that I’ve neglected my duties as your friend to introduce you to tea’, Kenobi said with his signature flirty lilt that made Cody want to roll his eyes fondly. 

It turned out that tea was pretty great, at least when his general served him some. In the coming months Cody learned to appreciate tea although he still mostly relied on caff, a fact that Kenobi often lamented. His general also taught him how to brew his favourite teas; after many late night sessions pouring over reports and regulations and weapon and supply acquisition forms, Cody had taken to making the general tea as often as Kenobi made him some. It was a strange, comforting and mutually appreciative friendship that had built between the two of them, without Cody even realising initially. 

* * *

After the whole business with the Duchess of Mandalore, Kenobi was quieter in their late night work sessions. Cody wasn’t blind and he thought he realised that while _jetii_ were forbidden from forming attachments, Kenobi had clearly harboured some feelings for the Duchess. It wasn’t his place to pry, but he made sure that the tea he made Kenobi was extra perfect and if he quietly slipped one more datapad onto his own pile while the other was looking away, Kenobi was none the wiser. One night, a few weeks after the Duchess had arrived in Coruscant and had caused quite the uproar, Cody found Kenobi sitting in front of a datapad with a smile on his face instead of the usual concentrated gaze. 

‘Read something interesting?’, Cody asked, setting a steaming cup of tea down next to Kenobi. 

‘Oh yes, I remembered something’, the general answered, looking up at Cody. ‘Thank you, my dear. I remembered that I kept a collection of my favourite poems on this datapad. I haven’t indulged in them for a while. It’s nice.’

‘Poetry, sir?’

His general smiled warmly. 

‘Yes, I had a phase when I was younger where I had… quite a penchant for poetry. I even wrote some myself. It wasn’t very good, mind you, but I did enjoy it. And I will always have an appreciation for good poetry’, Kenobi explained. 

‘You wrote poetry?’, Cody asked, smiling at the thought of a young padawan Kenobi sitting in the Temple library and furiously typing out poetry. ‘I’m sure you excelled at that as well, sir.’

‘You flatter me, Cody. It was mostly the musings of a young boy who wasn’t sure of his place in the world… they’re mostly terribly dreary if I’m being honest.’

Cody wasn’t entirely sure if the general could even be dreary. Sad, sure. Angry, sometimes, although he very quickly released his anger into the force and returned to the serenity that usually graced his features. 

‘I’m sure you’re only being humble’, Cody mumbled as he sat back down. Kenobi smiled at him again. 

‘You’re too kind, my dear’, he whispered, sipping his tea. Cody only fondly huffed and turned to his own work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:  
> vode = brothers (in this case: the clones)  
> Kote = glory (Cody’s Mando’a name)  
> munit videk = long neck (my attempt at a translation of longnecks aka the Kaminoans)  
> vod’ika = little brother, a diminutive of vod  
> di’kutla = stupid, dumb  
> jetii = Jedi  
> Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum = Daily remembrance of those passed on I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. Followed by repetition of loved ones' names.  
> osik’la = shitty
> 
> thanks so much for reading!! let me know what you thought!!  
> im genuinely so obssessed with this pairing u guys... i love them so much... two of my absolute favourite characters ever dude... if the obi-wan stanning or the cody stanning is getting too obvious,,, i cant really help it. bear with me through excessive descriptions of faces and smiles lfsfssdfsdfsdf


	2. Obi-Wan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall!! i hope you enjoy this chapter, this time from Obi-Wan's perspective

_‘He that is thy friend indeed,_

_He will help thee in thy need:_

_If thou sorrow, he will weep;_

_If thou wake, he cannot sleep:_

_Thus of every grief in heart_

_He with thee doth bear a part._

_These are certain signs to know_

_Faithful friend from flattering foe.’_

_\- ‘The Passionate Pilgrim’,_

_William Shakespeare_

Obi-Wan had realised quite early in the war that his commander Cody was a good man. He’d sensed the other’s surprise at the fact that Obi-Wan cared about the clones and specifically him and that simple fact made him want to storm back to Kamino to give the prime minister a very stern lecture on sentience and _vode_ rights. The only reason why he didn’t do exactly that was because he didn’t think it would change anything. So instead, whenever his strenuous shifts allowed it, he started drafting a rough outline for a clone rights bill, with the helping hand of Padmé who, as always, was willing to stand up for sentient rights. 

He didn’t tell Cody. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to, it just seemed like there wasn’t really much to tell Cody. He felt inadequate just presenting a simple idea, for reasons he himself couldn’t exactly fathom. He knew that Cody would appreciate it no matter what, but Obi-Wan wanted to present his commander with a more concrete proposal.

Sadly, he didn’t really have much time to work on getting the soldiers under his command basic sentient rights, since the war effort took away more and more of his free time. 

When he’d sent Cody away on the inspection of the outpost alongside Rex, he’d had a strange feeling in his gut that he couldn’t place. It felt different from the usual bad feeling that indicated that the force was telling him something dangerous was about to happen. Obi-Wan didn’t really know where to place it. 

Something dangerous did in fact happen and Obi-Wan didn’t even pretend to be surprised by it. At this point, danger was a constant in his life, and there was no way around it. With the outpost destroyed, the separatists advanced on Kamino and Obi-Wan could sense how tense his entire battalion became at the thought of their homeworld and their younger brothers being under threat. Later, when they had defeated the separatists and both Grievous and Ventress had escaped, Obi-Wan finally had a chance to track down his commander. 

‘Cody, there you are’, he said, finding the commander hunched over a body with Rex, Echo and Fives standing besides him. 

Cody looked up slowly and even through the commander’s mental shields, Obi-Wan could feel that the other was in pain. 

‘Sir’, Cody said, but it sounded more hollow than usual. Obi-Wan approached slowly, seeing that all four troopers were wearing similarly angry and sad expressions. 

‘What happened?’, Obi-Wan said softly, settling down to kneel next to Cody, putting a hand on his shoulder. It felt like an inadequate gesture but it was the best he could come up with. 

‘It’s- it’s 99, sir. He was a mutated clone, unfit for duty… he’d been helping out the younger cadets… has been for a long time, ever since I can remember really… he died a soldier’s death’, Cody explained, looking down at his brother. 

Obi-Wan’s grip on Cody’s shoulder tightened. He wasn’t sure if the other could even feel it through his armour. 

‘I’m very sorry for your loss’, Obi-Wan murmured, looking both at his commander and the other _vode_ standing around. ‘If you wish, I can make arrangements to have him buried with his brothers… he deserves as much of a send-off as they do.’

Cody turned to him. He wasn’t wearing his helmet and Obi-Wan could see the masked hurt in his eyes that Cody suppressed so often in order to stay functional. A part of Obi-Wan lamented, as he often did, that the clones had to witness such decimation and chaos without having any say in it. 

_They’re essentially slaves,_ Obi-Wan thought, a twang of pain and anger running through him. He closed his eyes and let his feelings seep out and into the force. 

Cody was still looking at him when he opened his eyes again. There was something twinkling in the depths of the other’s brown eyes, something that Obi-Wan couldn’t quite name, probably because Cody himself couldn’t either. 

‘Thank you, sir’, Cody said quietly and Obi-Wan didn’t have to be force-sensitive to recognize the sincere gratitude in the other’s voice. 

‘Of course, my dear commander. I will let you grieve and rest’, Obi-Wan answered, gripping Cody’s shoulder tightly again and standing up. 

‘But sir, you’ll need-’

‘Cody, you scold me for not taking care of myself. So now I’m telling you to do the same. Rest.’

Cody stared at him and finally nodded. Obi-Wan was satisfied and walked away with a heavy heart, mentally dividing up the tasks he would need to do to clean up the battle on Kamino. They’d lost many soldiers. All of them deserved a respectful burial, no matter what the Kaminoans might say. 

* * *

Obi-Wan grew to appreciate Cody’s competence and steady presence with every mission, but especially the daring plan to rescue Master Piell from the Citadel reminded Obi-Wan how much he appreciated his commander in situations where steadiness was so hard to come by. He told him as much when the two were the only ones left in the briefing room when the rest of the strike team had left after their return to Coruscant. 

‘Thank you, sir’, Cody said, a rare smile crossing over his face. Obi-Wan cherished the fact that he could make the other smile, even if it was only sometimes. 

‘Would you like to come to my quarters for some tea?’, Obi-Wan asked, not entirely sure where the urge came from. Cody looked slightly surprised, but he nodded. 

‘I would like that, sir-’

‘There really is no need to call me sir when we’re off duty, my dear’, Obi-Wan interrupted. ‘This way.’

Cody only huffed fondly. Obi-Wan knew that the other was going to continue. They’d had this conversation a few times before, so he knew not to push. The two men walked in companionable silence for a while. It was strange, Obi-Wan couldn’t remember a time where there really was any tense silence between the two of them. It was… comfortable, talking to his commander. 

‘I am sorry for your loss’, Obi-Wan finally said after they’d arrived in Obi-Wan’s quarters and he’d led Cody to the small kitchen, getting out two tea cups. 

Cody was silent for a short while.  
‘Thank you, sir’, he said quietly. ‘I-Well, Rex was closer to Echo than I was, so I’m worried about him… but I appreciate it.’

Obi-Wan nodded, not entirely sure what to say. 

‘I- well, I should be used to my brothers dying all the time’, Cody started. ‘But it’s still… it doesn’t get easier. Losing people.’

Obi-Wan sat down at the table, handing Cody his tea cup. 

‘Cody, I don’t think you can ever be used to losing people’, he said softly. ‘You, your brothers… you’re compassionate, empathetic, sentient beings. And your bond with your brothers is unique… Noone could ever fault you for feeling hurt when someone you loved passed, no matter how many times it has happened before.’

‘I guess.’

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair and stroked his beard thoughtfully. 

‘This war is- it’s brutal. I- I would say there is nothing good about it, but I am aware that without the war you and your brothers wouldn’t exist the way that you do, so I suppose that’s- that’s the one good thing about it. That you and your brothers exist. But it pains me to see you have to sacrifice your lives… without having a choice in it. Without really getting any say in how you live and how you die’, Obi-Wan whispered. 

‘We were created for war. We were created for the Jedi… I don’t really- I can’t imagine a life that isn’t this’, Cody answered, staring into his tea. 

‘Because you never had a choice.’

Cody looked up from his tea and cocked his head. 

‘In a way, yes. I think- well, I think many of my brothers could and would have chosen to do something else… but I for one… I think even if I had the choice I would choose to serve as your commander’, he said thoughtfully. 

Obi-Wan was taken completely aback. 

‘But- but why?’

Cody hummed.

‘Maybe it’s because I can’t imagine a life where I’m not picking up your lightsaber… but I think it’s because I know how to do this… and I think I belong here… fighting by your side and fighting for my brothers and the Republic.’

‘That’s very noble of you, Cody’, Obi-Wan mumbled. ‘I sometimes wish there wasn’t a war.’

Cody snorted. 

‘So do I- or I wish there was an end in sight, at least.’

Obi-Wan grimaced. 

‘Yes, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?’, he muttered. ‘Although I’m not sure if I know what that would entail anymore… There have been smaller wars and skirmishes for as long as I can remember… I’ve been a general for a long time… I don’t know if the Jedi Order knows how to exist without a war’, he trailed off, surprised to share so many of his musings. 

‘I understand what you mean, sir. I- I have no idea what my life… my brothers’ lives would look like without a war’, Cody mumbled. 

Obi-Wan stared at him for a while and they were both quiet for long minutes, drinking their tea. 

‘Are those your books of poetry?’, Cody asked finally, pointing to a stack of books sitting on a shelf in the small living room. 

Obi-Wan smiled. 

‘That they are’, he answered. ‘Would you like to borrow some?’

‘I don’t want to impose, sir.’

‘Oh, nonsense, Cody. I offered. And I know most of them by heart anyway.’

Cody smiled. 

‘Then, yes.’

As Obi-Wan watched Cody leave for the barracks with a pile of books under his arm, a warm feeling spread in his chest. His commander truly was a good man. 

* * *

There wasn’t much time for poetry in the following months, as much as Obi-Wan would’ve liked to discuss interpretations with Cody. The war continued to ravage the galaxy, tearing at the already fragile Republic, costing millions of lives, devastating planets and species. 

One of the Republic’s victories had also been one of the most devastating missions. The betrayal of General Krell on Umbara was both unexpected and crushing. 

Obi-Wan and Cody had been hunched over a battle map when Boil had come running towards them and Obi-Wan had sensed the anguish in the trooper. 

‘Sirs’, Boil choked. ‘The- Waxer’s troop… they were betrayed.’

‘Betrayed?’, Cody asked sternly. 

‘They- Rex just commed… General Krell betrayed them… he’d ordered Waxer to engage the enemy, telling them that they were wearing clone armor, but it was the 501st underneath the helmets… he made them kill each other. Waxer- he’s dead, sir.’

‘Get me Rex’, Obi-Wan said, crossing his arms and taking a deep breath as he felt a sick swooping sensation in his stomach at the other General’s betrayal. 

‘Yes, sir’, one of the troopers next to him said, scrambling to comm the captain. 

Rex, who looked extremely shaken, explained the situation, how Dogma had killed the Jedi after the battalion had engaged and captured the fallen Jedi. Obi-Wan could sense the hate of his soldiers, most of all Cody who was clenching his fist and breathing through his teeth in an attempt to stay calm through Rex’s report. 

‘Thank you, Captain’, Obi-Wan said, running a hand over his face. ‘The Umbaran resistance has been crushed and the 212th will pick you up at the air base in a short while.’

‘Thank you, sir!’, Rex answered. ‘Rex out!’

The blue hologram vanished and the room fell quiet. 

‘He ordered the men to shoot at our brothers’, Cody hissed. Obi-Wan felt the now familiar empty sadness settle in his heart. Unable to explain, he reached out one hand to squeeze Cody’s shoulder. 

‘We need to collect the fallen’, Obi-Wan whispered. Cody stared into the distance, only nodding after a while, almost as if he was on autopilot. 

Collecting the bodies of the fallen soldiers was never easy, Obi-Wan had found over the long war. But in this specific instance, he could feel his men’s anguish and lack of understanding for the doings of the dark Jedi as if they were projected with an amplifier. He watched as Boil sank to his knees in front of Waxer’s corpse, cradling his _ori’vod’s_ bucket in his hands, leaning it against his own helmet in a _mirshmure'cya._ Cody was standing besides him and even though the commander was wearing his helmet, Obi-Wan knew that the expression on his face was one of grim sadness. 

‘How could he do this?’, Cody asked, much later, when the two had already worked on several reports and the automatic daylight creators on the _Negotiator_ had already indicated that it was past midnight. 

‘Arrogance, hate, spite… The dark side takes many forms’, Obi-Wan said, wearily. 

‘I hate him’, Cody whispered, his expression hard. 

‘That is understandable’, Obi-Wan said gently. 

‘Aren’t you supposed to tell me it’s wrong? Sir?’

Obi-Wan sighed deeply, running both of his hands through his hair. 

‘You’re not a Jedi, my dear… besides, you can’t prevent feelings from existing… that’s not what the Jedi Code dictates. We have to let go of our fear and hate and anger. It’s human to feel emotions, be they joy or hate.’

Cody stared at Obi-Wan for a while. 

‘How do you let go of this hate?’, he asked, finally burying his face in his hands. 

‘Jedi are taught to release it into the force… but I think for you… I can’t tell you what the right way of letting go is. I- I think it’s important to not let the hate consume you, but I cannot tell you how to live your life and how to mourn or remember your brothers.’

Cody sighed deeply. Obi-Wan felt his heart clench in sympathy. 

‘For now I don’t know how to not hate him… him and all those who hurt my brothers’, he whispered. 

‘I cannot fault you for that’, Obi-Wan said. 

* * *

Obi-Wan realised that Cody experienced hate mostly directed towards the people who hurt those he cared for. The commander, as all high ranking GAR officers had training in keeping most of his emotions from leaking out, but Obi-Wan was still able to get a good read on the other’s feelings. Maybe it was because he knew Cody better than most others. 

He felt hate towards Krell, although Obi-Wan could sense that Cody was compartmentalizing his feelings and he seemed satisfied with the fact that the traitor had met justice. 

Cody felt hate towards the separatists who hurt his brothers. He felt hate towards senators that treated him and the _vode_ like cannon fodder. 

And he felt hate towards the Zygerrian slavers. When Obi-Wan had returned to the _Negotiator,_ beaten and bloodied and half hanging off of Anakin’s shoulder, he sensed the anger flare up in Cody.

‘Sir!’, Cody shouted, walking over to the bed in the med bay that Anakin lowered him on. 

‘Ah, Cody, it’s good to see you’, Obi-Wan tried for his usual flirty tone, but by the concerned looks on Cody’s and Anakin’s faces he hadn’t succeeded. 

‘Sir, how are you?’, Cody asked, the worry in his voice evident. 

‘I’m fine, Cody.’

‘He’s lying’, Anakin said, frowning at Obi-Wan, who rolled his eyes at his former padawan. 

‘I’m just a bit bruised.’

‘Master, you were enslaved and beaten into a pulp’, Anakin said and Obi-Wan could feel the anger seep out of the younger Jedi. 

‘I’m telling Helix to keep you in the med bay for at least two days, sir’, Cody mumbled. 

‘Good man’, Anakin said, still staring down Obi-Wan. 

With a sigh, Obi-Wan laid back against the bed and resigned himself to boredom for the next few days. 

Surprisingly, Cody sat with him quite a lot. Of course it made sense, since they had quite a lot of things to go over, but Cody stayed even after they were done, quietly serving him tea and listening to Obi-Wan talk about inane things. 

‘Sir, could I ask you something?’, Cody said at some point after a short silence. 

‘Of course.’

‘Do lightsabers have batteries?’, Cody asked. Obi-Wan nearly spat out his tea. 

‘They don’t run on batteries’, he said, chuckling good-naturedly. ‘They’re powered by a kyber-crystal inside. They don’t really run out of power until they’re destroyed.’

Cody’s face lit up. 

‘Bly owes me 10 credits’, he whispered with a satisfied grin on his face. ‘He thought that lightsabers ran on some form of battery.’

‘Oh did he?’

‘Yes. Fox told him that that wouldn’t make any sense because it could just turn off in the middle of a fight and then you’re kriffed.’

Obi-Wan stared at Cody for a while. Then, inexplicably, he started laughing, throwing his head back and feeling his body shake as he heard his commander join in on the laughter. Maybe it was because Cody was grinning stupidly, maybe it was because Obi-Wan was hurt and exhausted and Cody seemed like a rock in a maelstrom of chaos and suppressed emotions, but Obi-Wan felt like he was able to breathe freely for the first time in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:  
> vode = brothers (here: the clones)  
> ori’vod = big brother, special friend  
> mirshmure'cya = Keldabe kiss - slang for headbutt (lit. brain-kiss)
> 
> thanks so much for reading!! let me know what you thought!!  
> i really really loved writing obi-wan, i just love this man sm it's unreal dfsgfdgdf  
> also i swear in like two chapters it won't be quite such a jump from arc to arc, but i wanted to portray the two of them slowly growing closer over the course of the war so this is my way of doing just that!!


	3. Cody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall!!! i hope you enjoy today's chapter!  
> TW for temporary character death and just.... a lot of angst. this is a sad one you guys.

_‘He was my North, my South, my East, my West,_

_My working week and my Sunday rest,_

_My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;_

_I thought that love would last forever. I was wrong._

_The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;_

_Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;_

_Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;_

_For nothing now can ever come to any good.’_

_\- 'Stop All the Clocks, Cut off the Telephone’,_

_W. H. Auden_

Cody remembered exactly where he was when he’d heard that General Kenobi had died. It wasn’t an experience too easily forgotten. In the many devastating days during the war, hearing of his general’s death was one of the most jarring. 

Cody was sitting in a booth at Dex’s Diner, a place that Kenobi had once invited him, Waxer and Boil to. Cody was having dinner with Rex, Fox and Wolffe, when his comlink beeped. 

‘I thought we said no coms today?’, Wolffe grumbled, rolling his uninjured eye. 

Cody frowned. 

‘I thought I turned it off’, he mumbled. 

‘Cody, it’s blinking red’, Rex said, immediately sitting up straighter. Red wasn’t good. Red was an emergency.

‘Kriff’, Cody cursed and pressed the button. 

‘Cody here’, he said, worriedly listening for the voice of his general. He was the only one he could think of that would com him with an emergency at this time. 

‘C-cody’, Ahsoka’s voice sounded from the comlink. 

‘Commander Tano? What are you-’

‘Cody, it’s- it’s Obi-Wan’, Ahsoka stammered and Cody felt an insurmountable dread pool in his stomach. 

‘Is he injured?’, Cody asked, frantically gathering his things and shooting an apologetic look at his brothers. 

‘He-he’s dead’, Ahsoka whispered. 

Cody’s world stopped. He was frozen, staring into nothing, unable to comprehend what Ahsoka had just said.

‘Are you there, Cody?’, Ahsoka asked, her voice thick with tears. ‘Cody?’

Cody couldn’t think, couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. His entire being was reeling, unable to understand what was happening. He was dimly aware of the shocked faces of his brothers, dimly aware of Rex gripping his arm and speaking to Ahsoka. 

‘He’s here, Commander’, Rex whispered. ‘We’ll- we’ll take care of him.’

Fox and Wolffe were exchanging worried glances but Cody didn’t care. Where there had been shock just seconds ago, a dark chasm opened up in his chest, sucking all his thoughts, all his feelings inside until there was nothing left but grief, pain, indescribable agony. 

‘Cody?’, Rex asked gently, but it only dimly registered in Cody’s mind. 

Fox leaned forwards, putting a hand on Cody’s arm that was lying limply on the table in front of him. Cody couldn’t feel it over the thoughts running amok in his head. 

_I wasn’t there, I wasn’t with him, I didn’t protect him, I failed, I failed, I_ _failed_ _,_ he thought, _I failed and now he’s- he’s gone and I’ll never- I’ll never see him again, I failed and now I can’t tell him that he’s- he was the center of my world, now I can’t- I failed, I failed, this is my fault, I should’ve protected him, I should’ve-_

 _‘Kote!’,_ Rex said, forcefully. 

Slowly, Cody looked up, blinking, finding tears streaming down his face that he couldn’t remember shedding. 

_‘Ori’vod’,_ Rex whispered. ‘Let’s go.’

Cody stared at him, not blinking, unable to understand the question. 

_‘Kote, gedet'ye’,_ Rex implored, shooting a helpless glance at Fox and Wolffe. 

Cody had no memory of getting back to the barracks. He had no idea who paid for the food, didn’t know if he walked or if Rex had dragged him back. He couldn’t even remember how he fell asleep. The first thing he remembered was waking up, desperately hoping that the conversation had been a terrible dream. 

When he opened his eyes, he saw Rex and Bly sitting at the table that Cody had in his quarters on Coruscant. He instantly knew that he’d woken up in the terrible reality where Obi-Wan Kenobi had died, where his brilliant, shining, wonderful star of a general had gone out. Holding back a sob at the cold claw clenching around his heart, he sat up, staring at the door. 

_‘Vod!’,_ Bly exclaimed, immediately standing up and rushing over to him. 

Cody felt Rex and Bly come to a stop next to him, felt a hand on his shoulder, tentatively gripping. 

‘I want to see him’, Cody rasped, his voice quiet from disuse and crying. 

‘T-the Jedi won’t allow anyone to see him, Codes’, Bly whispered. 

_‘Why the kriff not?’,_ Cody snapped. 

‘Autopsy’, Rex said, keeping his voice steady. 

Cody clenched his hands. Then, as was his tactic with anything that hurt him, he took a deep breath and pushed it into the recesses of his mind, compartmentalizing it alongside all the other things that he never addressed. 

‘I see’, he said, his voice emotionless.

‘Codes, I-’, Bly started, but Cody stood up, walking over to the small fresher, splashing his face with water and donning his armour with practiced, mechanic ease. 

‘You don’t need to-’, Rex started, but Cody held up a hand. 

‘The men need me. Their commanding officer just fell. I have work to do.’

Bly and Rex exchanged a glance. 

‘Codes, don’t you think you should take a bit of time to grieve?’, Bly asked, softly. 

‘Won’t change anything. The kriffing war didn’t stop, so I can’t either’, Cody said, willing numbness to spread through his entire body. 

‘Kote-’, Rex mumbled. 

‘Enough’, Cody said with all the force of his Marshal Commander voice that terrified all the shinies, walking over to the desk and picking up his bucket. ‘Wars don’t win themselves.’

With that, Cody walked out of his room, punching a few buttons to alert Boil and Wooley that they would have a strategy meeting in five. 

* * *

The next few days passed mostly in a blur. Cody felt nothing but all-consuming numbness, the only time that he allowed himself to break down and cry were in short instances in the fresher. Rationally, he knew that his way of dealing with the death of someone he lo- _cared_ for so deeply was damaging, but he couldn’t bring himself to face the reality that Kenobi really was gone. It remained that way until two days after the announcement when Boil walked towards him, a strained expression on his face while Cody was on the _Negotiator,_ punching some training droids in the training hall. 

‘What?’, he asked, his voice cold and distant. 

Boil grimaced. 

‘They- they’re having a funeral in a few days- Jedi and close friends only-’, he started, only to stop when he saw the murderous expression on Cody’s face. 

_‘Shabuir’,_ Cody cursed. ‘What kind of _shabla osik_ are the kriffing council up to.’

‘Sir, I- we’re not invited’, Boil whispered. 

Cody stared at him and then, finally, the dam inside of him broke and he turned around to the poor training droid and with a heart wrenching scream he picked up the droid, ripping off its head and throwing it across the room, leaving a sizable dent in the wall. Hot tears were running down his face. His hands were shaking and his sight was blurring. 

With a sob, he sank down on the floor, feeling the cold tiles through the fabric of his blacks. He was shaking, his entire body was shaking and he was _finally_ crying, he was sobbing violently and his head hurt more and more and more and his heart felt like it was split in two and he couldn’t do anything but cry pitifully. 

‘Sir’, Boil said carefully and Cody could feel him step closer. He made no move to back away. He was too exhausted for that. Slowly, like he was approaching a hurt animal, Boil put a hand on Cody’s shoulder. 

Boil didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Cody knew well enough that he probably understood what Cody was feeling more than anyone. Cody remembered Boil’s empty eyes, the constant turning towards Waxer who was no longer there. He remembered how lost and exhausted Boil had been ever since Waxer’s death on Umbara. 

‘Why?’, Cody whispered after a long while. Boil had sat down next to him, pressing his shoulder against Cody’s shaking one. 

‘Why would the Jedi- why would we not be allowed there?’, Cody asked again. ‘We- we’re his soldiers. We’re- he’s- _he’s family._ How could the Jedi… how could they, Boil?’

‘I don’t know, sir’, Boil said quietly. 

Cody stared at the floor between his legs, his tears blurring the tiles into one grey, sad mess. 

‘Why are we fighting?’, Cody whispered. ‘Why- why are we doing this? This entire war… all it does… is take… take and take and _take…’_

‘Would you stop?’, Boil asked. 

Cody sobbed. 

‘No.’

Boil laughed humorlessly. 

‘We don’t- have a choice. Either we die in battle or we live long enough to see those we love die’, he said bitterly. 

_‘Shab,_ Boil, I- I don’t know how to do this anymore’, Cody admitted. ‘How do you keep going when… when he’s gone?’

Cody felt the hand on his shoulder tighten. 

‘You go on in his honour’, the other said. ‘He- he wouldn’t want you to… give up… to give in… it’s- it’s nearly impossible on some days… but I- we have to honour the fallen… honour their wishes… in whatever way we can.’

Cody felt another sob wrack his body. 

_‘Ijaat’,_ he whispered. 

‘Yes’, Boil answered. ‘For them. We keep going… in their honour. In their memory. We have to keep going.’

The tears didn’t stop, but Cody felt a small spark of resistance against the all-encompassing pain and hopelessness form in his stomach. It almost felt like Kenobi’s warm hand on his shoulder. 

With a deep breath, Cody turned to Boil, placing both of his hands on the other’s shoulders. 

_‘Haat, ijaa, haa'it._ For them’, he said firmly. Boil nodded grimly. 

_‘Haat, ijaa, haa'it’,_ he answered, sealing the pact. 

_‘Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. Waxer, Obi-Wan Kenobi’,_ Cody whispered, repeating the mantra, hearing Boil join in. With every repetition, he felt himself breathe a bit less shakily. The pain wasn’t… gone, per se, but it was a lot more manageable. 

* * *

Cody’s following few days were strenuous to say the least. He forced himself out of bed each day, the reality that he was now alone in command of an entire battalion without Kenobi by his side. He spent hours at night, staring at reports that he’d usually fill out with Kenobi and two cups of tea. The books of poetry that Kenobi had lent him were sitting on his desk, burning a hole in the empty, cold air of the room. 

He was pouring over one of his many reports about weapon requests when his comlink beeped. Tiredly, he pressed the button, seeing Rex’s signature. 

‘This better be important, vod’, Cody mumbled, his voice just as dead as he felt inside. 

_‘Ori’vod,_ it was an _osik’la_ plot’, Rex said, breathlessly. 

‘What the kriff are you talking about?’, Cody asked. 

‘Kenobi! He- kriff, Cody, he’s alive!’

Cody stared at his comlink, unsure if he’d heard correctly. 

_‘Ne shab’rud’ni’,_ Cody hissed. 

‘I’m not, Cody, I wouldn’t. You know that. He’s- he’s standing next to Master Windu’, Rex’s distorted voice echoed in Cody’s quiet quarters. 

_‘Shabuir’,_ Cody cursed. ‘I- I will kriffing- What the _shab- osik-’_

‘Are you alright?’, Rex asked, carefully. 

‘I- I have no kriffing idea, Rex’, Cody whispered. ‘He’d better kriffing come back soon so I can kick his _shebs.’_

‘Glad to hear that you sound like yourself again, _ori’vod’,_ Rex mumbled. 

‘I- I’m going to go- punch some kriffing droids’, Cody growled. ‘But thanks, _vod’ika.’_

* * *

When Kenobi found him, Cody was indeed punching some droids. He knew regulation stated that punching droids was useless, but he couldn’t think of anything that really was quite as relaxing as punching some kriffing clankers. The dent left behind by his tantrum days ago had a few other, smaller dents around it now and Cody was surrounded by destroyed training droids, breathing heavily, when the door swished open. 

Cody knew immediately that it was Kenobi. Noone else would have dared to enter the room when he was fuming the way that he currently was. 

‘Cody’, Kenobi said in his damned, _shabla_ soft tone. 

Cody didn’t answer. He only punched the droid that he was attacking harder. His knuckles were beaten and bloodied, showing the overuse from the last few days. 

‘Cody, _gedet'ye’,_ Kenobi whispered. 

Without turning around, Cody snapped.

‘I see you’re not dead, then.’

Kenobi was quiet for a while. 

‘I- yes. Not dead-’

‘Good for you.’

Kenobi sighed. 

‘Cody, it was the council’s-’

With a growl, Cody twirled around, ripping the head off of the droid he had been punching. 

‘I could not give less of a _shab’,_ he snarled, but his heart stopped at the sight of Kenobi, his blue eyes, his gorgeous hair, his unguarded expression of sorrow. 

‘Cody, I-’, Kenobi started, and seeing those eyes again, hearing his voice, made Cody’s anger deflate into nothing but disappointment. 

‘Why?’, he whispered. ‘Why didn’t you- tell me. Tell us?’

‘Cody- _ni ceta’,_ Kenobi mumbled. ‘I- I couldn’t… the council- I know that doesn’t make it… alright… but for everyone’s safety… for the plan to succeed… the galaxy had to believe me dead.’

‘They- they wouldn’t let me- they wouldn’t let us come to the funeral’, Cody whispered. 

Kenobi was quiet for a moment. 

‘I- Cody, I am so sorry’, he mumbled, and Cody knew that he was sincere, because he knew Kenobi, undoubtedly, and his voice was real, tangible. It wasn’t Kenobi’s usual flirty demeanour or the passive serenity he put on whenever there were politicians around. 

‘Don’t- don’t do that again’, Cody whispered. _‘Please.’_

Kenobi choked softly, stepping closer to Cody. 

‘Can I-’, he stammered, taking a deep breath. ‘Can I give you a hug?’

Cody let out a shaky breath and nodded and suddenly he was enveloped in the scent of mint, tea and pine that made his heart ache so much because it was just so _essentially Kenobi._ Warm, strong arms wrapped around him and he all but melted into his general’s arms, not caring about the fact that he’d just yelled and cursed at the man, not caring how many rules of propriety they were currently breaking. 

_‘Ni ceta,_ my dear’, Kenobi whispered again. 

Cody only hummed, unable to speak. His head was resting, buried in Kenobi’s neck and he felt the other run his hands through his curls. The realisation that Kenobi was real, tangible, alive hit Cody and he started sniffling, wetting the fabric of Kenobi’s tunic. The Jedi didn’t let go, holding onto Cody tightly, like the clone was something or someone precious. 

‘Thank you for being alive’, Cody whispered. ‘I- I’m glad I didn’t lose my friend.’

Kenobi’s chuckle was low and happy and Cody’s hands instinctively curled in the Jedi’s robes. 

‘Thank you for not punching me, my dear’, Kenobi muttered. 

‘I was close enough’, Cody grumbled. 

‘I wouldn’t have held it against you’, Kenobi whispered. ‘But I have to say I’m glad. I’ve seen you kick enough droids to know that it would hurt terribly.’

Cody only chuckled wetly and held his Jedi tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:  
> Kote = Glory (Cody’s Mando’a name)  
> Ori’vod = big brother, older brother, special friend  
> Gedet'ye = please  
> Vod = brother  
> Shabuir = motherfucker  
> Shabla = fucked up  
> Osik = shit  
> Shab = fuck  
> Ijaat = honour  
> Haat, ijaa, haa'it = Truth, honor, vision - words used to seal a pact  
> Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. = Daily remembrance of those passed on *I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.* Followed by repetition of loved ones' names.  
> Osik’la = shitty  
> Ne shab’rud’ni = don’t fuck with me  
> Shebs = ass  
> Vod’ika = little brother  
> Ni ceta = sorry (lit: I kneel) grovelling apology - rare
> 
> thanks so much for reading!! let me know what you thought!!  
> i kinda went a bit ham with the pain, but in my defense that poem by WH Auden is one of my favourite poems ever and it always fucking hurts, no matter how many times i read it and i just... had to do it justice.  
> if you want to talk to me about codywan or star wars, my tumblr is @mandalourian


	4. Obi-Wan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall!! sorry im a day late but uni is honestly kicking my ass rn, exam season is coming up so my updates might be a bit.... wild in the next few days/weeks... I'll try to get out about two chapters each week, but I can't promise you super consistent bi-daily uploads sadly 
> 
> that being said, i hope you enjoy!!!

_ ‘Let everything happen to you _

_ Beauty and terror _

_ Just keep going _

_ No feeling is final’  _

_ \- Rainer Maria Rilke _

‘Obi-Wan! You could have saved me!’, Satine screamed and Obi-Wan’s stomach lurched as he watched helplessly as Maul plunged the dark saber into Satine over and over and over again, seeing her die in his arms so many times that he couldn’t shed any tears anymore. 

‘Sir?’, a quiet voice came from somewhere but Obi-Wan couldn’t place it, it didn’t make any sense. The voice sounded like Cody, but Cody wasn’t here, thank the force, because then Maul would have certainly realised the growing affection that Obi-Wan held for his commander. 

No, Obi-Wan was alone, all alone and he watched the red helmets of Death Watch stare down at him as Maul laughed maniacally and Satine let out her last breath again. Obi-Wan sobbed tearlessly, unable to save her. Again. 

_ ‘Obi-Wan!’, _ a forceful voice cut through the Jedi’s dream. 

With a start, Obi-Wan woke up from his nightmare to find Cody bent over him, a hand on his shoulder and a worried expression on his face. 

‘Cody?’, Obi-Wan whispered. ‘Y-you called me Obi-Wan.’

Cody blushed. 

‘I- that’s what you’re focussing on?’, he said and Obi-Wan could sense the worry rolling off of him. 

‘It-it’s a nice thing to focus on’, Obi-Wan muttered. 

‘Obi-Wan’, Cody whispered. Obi-Wan felt a shudder run down his spine. If he hadn’t been in the throes of a nightmare, he’d have chastised himself for his growing attachment to the commander, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, not really. Not when Cody was staring at him with such open care and worry in his eyes. 

‘Are you okay?’, Cody asked quietly, cutting through the silent air of the room. 

Obi-Wan remained wordless for a few moments, not breaking eye contact. He didn’t want to lose the steady presence of the other’s eyes on him. They grounded him and made it… not necessarily easy to think about the contents of his dream, but he didn’t feel quite as alone anymore. 

‘Is it- the duchess?’, Cody continued. ‘I- forgive me if you don’t want to talk about it… but if you do-’

Obi-Wan smiled weakly. 

‘Yes’, he said simply. 

‘Would you like some tea?’, Cody asked. ‘I’ll go make some-’

‘No!’

Cody cocked his head questioningly. 

‘I-I’m sorry, my dear. I- could you sit with me for a while?’, Obi-Wan said, flushing at his outburst. ‘I- I don’t want to be alone for now.’

Cody’s eyes widened in surprise. 

‘O-okay’, he mumbled and immediately pulled his chair from where he’d been sitting to go over reports while Obi-Wan had slept on the table next to him. He didn’t let go of Obi-Wan’s shoulder and Obi-Wan leaned into the touch. Cody’s hand was warm and comforting after the debilitating coldness of his dream. 

‘What happened?’, Obi-Wan asked, sitting up a bit and leaning towards Cody, clearing his throat. 

‘You were mumbling something in your dream… and then- you started crying’, Cody explained. ‘I-I didn’t want you to- stay having a bad dream.’

Obi-Wan smiled weakly. 

‘Thank you, dear. I- you’re right. It was about Satine… and Maul.’

‘I’m so sorry’, Cody whispered. 

‘Thank you’, Obi-Wan said, staring at a thread that was loosening on his tunic. ‘I- Jedi aren’t supposed to form attachments-’

‘You’re human’, Cody interjected. ‘You can’t fault yourself for your humanity.’

Obi-Wan studied the thread harder. 

‘In a way that is true… but Master Yoda says a good Jedi must not form attachments.’

He could feel Cody stare at him.

‘Is that romantic attachment only? Doesn’t that heavily devalue friendships?’, Cody asked. Obi-Wan looked up, confused. 

‘What do you mean?’

Cody frowned. 

‘I have no experience with romantic attachment, but- the bond between friends is attachment too. The bond between brothers is attachment. Wouldn’t you say you’re attached to everyone you love?’, Cody asked. Obi-Wan blinked. 

‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

Cody smiled a tiny smile. 

‘I don’t know that much about Jedi culture, only what you’ve told me, but I know you… And you’re no detached, loveless man. You love freely and you care for so many people... maybe attachment doesn’t mean you can’t love… but I don’t know’, Cody trailed off. 

Obi-Wan was quiet for a long while. 

‘Supposing attachment only meant a specific type of… jealous… selfish attachment, you’d be right’, he mused. ‘I never really… questioned it, to be frank.’

Cody hummed. 

‘I wouldn’t have either… but you’ve taught me to question orders if they seem unfair… I’m just applying that logic to your situation’, he explained. 

‘You’re a very wise man, Cody’, Obi-Wan said. ‘Millenia ago… the Jedi did marry and love… most people don’t remember and even the Order usually doesn’t address it… but I often wondered when they’d changed that… or why.’

‘Maybe some Jedi became too attached?’

Obi-Wan nodded absentmindedly. 

‘Maybe’, he whispered. 

Silence settled in the room, draping over them like a heavy blanket. The only sound was the ever-present hum of the spaceship around them and their quiet breaths. 

Finally, Cody seemed to make a decision. 

‘Do you- do you want a hug?’, he whispered. ‘It’s fine if you don’t, no pressure, but… well, I thought I’d offer.’

Obi-Wan looked up at his commander, studying the slight blush gracing his tanned features and felt his heart warm a bit. Disregarding the voice inside of his head that whispered  _ attachment,  _ Obi-Wan smiled gratefully. 

‘Yes’, he mumbled. ‘Yes, my dear, that would be lovely.’

With a huff, Cody got up and Obi-Wan followed and suddenly he felt himself pressed up against his commander’s strong body, wrapped up in warm, firm arms that held him gently. Obi-Wan melted into the hug, not remembering the last time he’d hugged anyone apart from Cody after his return to the land of the living. 

_ The last person I hugged was Satine,  _ a part of his brain supplied. Obi-Wan twisted his hands into the fabric of Cody’s blacks, clinging to the other man as he felt a hand circle on his back, rubbing soothingly. 

‘Thank you’, Obi-Wan whispered into Cody’s neck. Cody just held him tighter as the Jedi started crying softly. 

‘You’re my friend and you’re in pain. I won’t let you suffer alone’, Cody murmured. 

* * *

As Obi-Wan watched Anakin run after Ahsoka, he felt cold dread settle in his stomach. He stepped forwards, but Plo Koon put a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. For a split second, Obi-Wan felt anger but he breathed through it tiredly, releasing his emotions into the force.

The council chamber was quiet as the masters stared at the spot where Ahsoka and Anakin had been just moments ago. Obi-Wan didn’t feel angry anymore, now he just felt tired. Tired of the war, the constant hiding that his old padawan thought he got away with so easily, the fighting, the never-ending cycle of death and despair. 

‘Tired, you are, Master Kenobi, hmm?’, Master Yoda asked, ripping Obi-Wan out of his thoughts. 

‘Oh. Yes. Excuse me, Master.’

‘For excuses, no need there is’, Yoda said with a small smile. ‘Rest, you should go.’

‘But-’, Obi-Wan started, but Plo Koon tightened the hand on his shoulder. 

‘Master Yoda is right. Rest. Little ‘Soka will be fine whatever she chooses’, he said. Obi-Wan could sense the sadness and the pain in the other master as well. Plo Koon had been like a father to Ahsoka and seeing her leave obviously upset him, but he remained calm. 

Seeing Plo Koon’s strength made Obi-Wan remember his own strength. With a deep breath, he bowed to the masters and excused himself, walking out of the council chambers. 

For a while he wasn’t thinking, so he was surprised when he found himself standing outside of the 212th barracks. 

_ Did I just instinctively walk here? _ Obi-Wan thought.  _ Attachment indeed.  _

Just then, the door opened and Cody walked out, looking over his shoulder and talking to the troopers remaining inside. 

_ That’s awfully convenient,  _ Obi-Wan mused and reached out to the force. He could only feel the familiar approving hum emanating from Cody. 

‘Cody!’, he called, praying his voice didn’t sound quite as exhausted as he really was. 

His commander turned around, searching for him and then focussed his brown eyes on Obi-Wan with a look of surprise on his face. 

‘Sir?’, he asked, quickly walking over towards him. ‘Is everything alright? Do I need to mobilize the men-’

‘No, no. You all deserve your downtime. I’m sorry if I’m interrupting anything.’

Cody shook his head. 

‘You’re not. I was just… going out to catch some air. Needed some quiet from the… well-’

‘I do know about the parties’, Obi-Wan said, a tired smile stealing onto his lips. ‘It’s perfectly understandable that the men would like to relax and enjoy life while they’re on leave.’

‘Actually, sir’, Cody said, straightening his back. ‘There have been some… revelations in this downtime, sir.’

‘Oh?’

‘Yes. Well, I’ve been informed by my  _ vode  _ that… well that the term men doesn’t really cover all of the _ vode,  _ sir.’

Something warm and soft bloomed in Obi-Wan’s chest. 

‘That’s wonderful’, he murmured. ‘I’ll advise the Jedi council to refer to the  _ vode  _ as such or as soldiers. I’m surprised this topic hasn’t come up earlier, to be honest.’

‘I- really?’, Cody asked, surprised. ‘I thought this was going to be… harder.’

‘Whyever would that be the case, my dear? With so many different planets and so many different species, the constraints put upon the constructs of gender are arbitrary at best, if not entirely obsolete. The least we can do is respect people’s identities.’

Cody stared at him for a while until a bright smile broke out on his face. Obi-Wan thought he looked quite beautiful in the setting sun of Coruscant. 

‘Thank you, sir. The soldiers will be happy.’

‘Of course, my dear commander. I don’t want to keep you from the festivities, so I’ll-’

Cody shook his head. 

‘I’ve had enough of cheap contraband for one evening’, he grumbled. ‘I- you seem… sad. Is everything alright?’

Obi-Wan sighed. 

‘You’re very perceptive’, he noted. ‘Would you like to come into my quarters for some tea?’

* * *

‘Ahsoka left’, Obi-Wan said frankly as he set down the tea in front of Cody. 

‘She didn’t rejoin?’

‘No. She felt, and I cannot fault her for it- but she felt that the Jedi Order had failed her… and we did. We- Cody, I fear we’re on the brink of failing many people, if not the entire galaxy.’

It was a testament to how far their friendship had matured that Cody didn’t immediately dismiss Obi-Wan’s thoughts. Obi-Wan knew that the thought of criticising the Jedi still ran counter to Cody’s instincts, but he could sense that Cody was thinking carefully. 

‘I- in Ahsoka’s case, the person who betrayed her was indeed a Jedi’, Cody finally said. ‘So I guess that’s one way the Jedi have failed her… but you’re always saying that the force is guiding people… maybe this is the path she needs to take?’

Obi-Wan sighed and sat down, blowing air onto the hot tea in his hand. 

‘I suppose that’s one way of seeing it.’

‘I know that doesn’t necessarily make it easier, especially not for someone who you’ve seen grow up so much’, Cody said gently, reaching out to put a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. 

‘Letting go is one of the most important parts of training a padawan’, Obi-Wan protested. 

Cody raised his eyebrow but his face remained gentle. 

‘Tell me if I’m speaking out of turn but… you’ve never fully let go of Anakin either, have you?’

Obi-Wan stared at Cody, his mind reeling. 

‘Y-you really are terribly perceptive, my dear’, he mumbled. ‘It’s funny that Anakin sees me as this paragon of the Jedi when I’m such a flawed version in reality.’

‘I don’t think you’re flawed in the sense that you mean it. I think you’re human.’

‘Isn’t that the same thing?’, Obi-Wan asked. 

‘In a philosophical way, I guess it is. But there are different ways of looking at it in the end. You’re flawed because you’re human and because you’re sentient. And that’s why you’re able to be compassionate and kind and loving. That’s why you’re able to be a powerful Jedi. Because you’re sentient and you feel and are therefore fundamentally flawed.’

Obi-Wan stared at Cody for a long time, turning his words over in his head. 

‘Anakin is married’, he finally said. To his surprise, Cody didn’t spit out his tea. He didn’t even seem to be surprised, he only raised his unscarred eyebrow. 

‘You’re not surprised’, Obi-Wan commented. 

‘Am I supposed to be? It’s just about the worst kept secret in the republic’, Cody said drily. ‘Rex has been covering for them for years. He didn’t exactly tell me but there’s only so many times he can explain away his General just up and leaving to go sleep at a senator’s house.’

‘I really thought I’d taught him better sneaking etiquette’, Obi-Wan noted sarcastically. 

‘Maybe he tuned it out like the lightsaber talks’, Cody mused. 

‘Maybe’, Obi-Wan said, sighing deeply. ‘But- I’m worried about him. Deeply worried. I- it hurts that he doesn’t think he can trust me with this.’

‘To be fair, he still thinks you’re a perfect paragon Jedi with no attachments.’

Obi-Wan shook his head. 

‘He knows about Satine.’

Cody frowned.

‘Does he know everything? He probably only thinks you had an adolescent crush and then suppressed it’, Cody said. 

‘He- no, he heard me say that I would’ve left the order for her’, Obi-Wan mused, staring out of the window, the familiar pain of thinking about Satine clenching in his gut. 

‘Maybe he’s afraid that you’d tell him to stop if you knew’, Cody said after a moment. 

‘I couldn’t. Even if I wanted to, he wouldn’t listen to me… and I’ve- well, ever since you- let’s say I’ve been questioning some… structures of belief in the Jedi Order’, Obi-Wan whispered, staring blindly at the setting sun. 

‘Maybe you need to tell him that’, Cody said gently. ‘I haven’t actually seen you talk… properly in a while.’

Obi-Wan blinked and turned back to Cody who was looking at him imploringly. 

‘If you’re worried about him, talk to him… if I’m worried about my br- siblings, then I talk to them.’

Obi-Wan hummed. 

‘I thought I shouldn’t- have to. Plausible deniability…’

‘Is that more important than helping your brother who’s hurting?’

Obi-Wan stared at Cody some more, tracing the scar on his forehead and studying his deep brown eyes intently. 

‘It is not… you’re very wise, my dear.’

Cody laughed silently.

‘I learnt from the best, Obi-Wan’, he whispered. 

‘You called me Obi-Wan’, Obi-Wan grinned, unable to stop himself from blushing the tiniest bit. Cody rolled his eyes. 

‘Well, you told me to. Might as well, you know?’

Obi-Wan grinned wider. 

‘Yes. Thank you, my dear. Talking with you… it’s always a joy.’

‘Likewise’, Cody said gruffly. 

‘More tea?’, Obi-Wan asked, readying himself for a comfortable evening of warm companionship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
> vode = siblings (can be used for brothers/sisters/siblings depending on the context because Mando'a is gender neutral and fun like that), here used to describe all of the clones 
> 
> thanks so much for reading!! let me know what you thought!  
> i sadly dont remember where i first read the idea of trans vode (binary and non-binary) but i absolutely adore it so now i say that it's canon bc i make the rules here   
> as always, my tumblr is @mandalourian, feel free to talk to me if you'd like!!


	5. Cody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall!! sorry that it took me so long to update, exam season is one hell of a mess i swear  
> hopefully ill be able to write some more once im done with my exams in a week, so you might get a new chapter every two days, but for now im sticking with a quite irregular upload schedule because university is kicking my ass  
> anyway, i hope you enjoy! excuse any typos im like half asleep just typing this

_ ‘Lying, thinking _

_ Last night _

_ How to find my soul a home _

_ Where water is not thirsty _

_ And bread loaf is not stone _

_ I came up with one thing _

_ And I don't believe I'm wrong _

_ That nobody, _

_ But nobody _

_ Can make it out here alone.’ _

_ \- Alone, Maya Angelou _

‘Sir!’, Wooley shouted, running down the hallway towards Cody who had just stepped up to his general’s quarters for their nightly report sessions. 

‘Wooley?’, Cody asked, barely masking the tiredness in his voice. 

‘I just heard from Fives, Tup killed General Tiplar’, Wooley said, breathlessly. 

_ ‘What?’ _

‘Yes, sir. Apparently he has no memory of the event and his health is getting worse and worse’, Wooley explained. ‘General Skywalker sent Rex and Fives to Kamino with him.’

_ ‘Osi’kyr’, _ Cody cursed. ‘I need to call Rex, thank you Wooley.’

Wooley nodded and hurried off somewhere, while Cody stared after him, shocked to his very bones. 

‘Do come in, my dear’, Obi-Wan said and Cody honestly jumped, instinctively raising his hands and dropping his helmet, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. 

‘Oh that’s really not necessary, dear’, Obi-Wan continued, standing in the doorway with a serene smile on his face. At least that’s what most people would’ve thought, but Cody could see the tiny quirk of Obi-Wan’s mouth that indicated that the other was extremely self-satisfied. 

‘You scared me’, Cody grumbled, lowering his hands and moving to pick up his bucket when the plastoid suddenly floated into his hand.

‘Didn’t you give General Skywalker a lecture about frivolous force usage three days ago?’, Cody asked drily. 

‘My dearest commander, helping you isn’t a frivolous matter’, Obi-Wan said smoothly, winking at Cody. The clone could feel something warm twist and settle in his gut, making the tips of his toes tingle at Obi-Wan’s casual flirting. With a sigh, Cody shook his head, ignoring his unprofessional and misplaced reaction. 

‘I’m not sure General Skywalker would see it that way.’

Obi-Wan chuckled. 

‘Well, what Anakin doesn’t know won’t hurt him’, the Jedi said, smirking slightly. ‘This will just have to remain our little secret.’

‘Sure, general’, Cody said, unable to hide his fondly exasperated smile. 

‘Do come in, my dear’, Obi-Wan said, stepping back. ‘I prepared some tea.’

‘Thanks’, Cody said, following Obi-Wan and plopping down at his usual chair, sifting through the reports stacked on the table. 

‘Sir-’, he began, but Obi-Wan only hummed, not turning around to look at him. Cody rolled his eyes good-naturedly. 

‘Obi-Wan’, he said, grinning at the way the other immediately turned to look at him with a satisfied smile. ‘There’s- have you heard from General Skywalker?’

Obi-Wan’s face fell a little. 

‘Oh. Yes, I have. Anakin commed me a few hours ago to fill me in on Master Tiplar’s death.’ 

‘Do you- do you know why Tup did it?’, Cody asked, the easy atmosphere from just moments ago gone. 

‘I have no idea’, Obi-Wan said, worriedly. ‘Do you?’

Cody shook his head. 

‘I- Rex knew him better than I, of course… but we’ve fought together for years and years… he was a loyal soldier. I never- I had no idea he wanted to...’

‘He seems to have no memory of the situation. The current theory is that it might be a virus’, Obi-Wan said after a moment. 

‘A virus?’

The Jedi nodded. 

‘Yes, that’s why he’s being transported to Kamino. Master Shaak Ti will oversee the procedure as they try to find the cause.’

Cody stared at Obi-Wan. 

‘If there’s a seperatist virus that can turn  _ vode  _ on their Generals’, he started, finding himself nearly unable to finish. ‘I-  _ shab, _ I can’t even- It’s a terrifying idea… our superiors, our friends, our- our family.’

Obi-Wan set down a cup of tea in front of Cody and reached out his hand to grasp Cody’s shoulder tightly. 

‘Master Ti will find a solution’, Obi-Wan said, his voice steady and convincing. ‘I- we, the Jedi won’t let anything of the sort happen to you. You are in our care.’

Cody smiled at the man in front of him, mapping out the icey blue eyes that were anything but cold, the tiny wrinkles on Obi-Wan’s face and the soft waves of his red hair for the hundredth time. 

‘Thank you, Obi-Wan’, Cody whispered. 

‘Of course, my dear. Now, this is troubling news… the council has new orders for us and we are supposed to only rest in Coruscant for a day before returning to the fleet in the Yavin Sector but… I’ll ask for an extended leave until Anakin arrives. The force feels… tumultuous around this’, Obi-Wan mused. 

‘The soldiers won’t say no to extended leave’, Cody said. ‘But if you’re investigating this, I would like to come along.’

‘I would appreciate that, my dear’, Obi-Wan answered, smiling warmly. 

* * *

As soon as Skywalker and Rex returned to Coruscant and Fives escaped from the meeting with the Chancellor, Obi-Wan commed Cody, bringing him along to a meeting he had scheduled with his former pupil. 

‘Master, Commander’, General Skywalker greeted them, an uneasy frown on his face. Rex had lamented that his General tended to frown more and more ever since Ahsoka’s departure. Cody couldn’t fault him for frowning, really. 

‘Anakin’, Obi-Wan said smoothly. ‘Any news?’

‘Nothing yet’, the younger Jedi grumbled. ‘I don’t understand- why would he attack the… why would Fives do any of this?’

‘Master Ti informed me that he did some sort of procedure on himself?’, Obi-Wan asked. 

Rex nodded. 

‘He removed the inhibitor chip’, he explained. ‘Apparently it’s… supposed to suppress violent tendencies… stabilize us.’

Cody could see the open disgust on Obi-Wan’s face clearly. The other was obviously displeased with the idea that there was something controlling the _ vode.  _

‘Do you have any idea why?’, Cody asked.

‘Not really, no,  _ vod’, _ Rex lamented. ‘It- I don’t know what Fives is thinking. He’s never acted like this.’

Cody wanted to reach out and give his brother a hug but he also knew that Rex would probably not appreciate that in the moment. 

‘The Chancellor says Fives attacked him, correct?’, Obi-Wan asked, looking in between Rex and Skywalker. 

‘Yes’, Skywalker said. 

‘But if we assume that what killed Master Tiplar is a seperatisit weapon using the  _ vode, _ then this couldn’t have been the case for this instance’, Obi-Wan mused. 

‘What are you saying?’ 

‘That this doesn’t fit with the theory’, Obi-Wan said. ‘Which leads me to believe that either Fives attacked out of his own volition, or…’

‘Or _ what, _ Master?’

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at Skywalker and turned to look at Cody questioningly. 

‘That the Chancellor lied, sir’, Cody said. 

‘Precisely’, Obi-Wan whispered, thoughtfully stroking his beard. 

‘The Chancellor wouldn’t!’, Skywalker exclaimed. 

‘Anakin, he’s a politician.’

‘He’s different!’, Skywalker insisted. 

‘Anakin, I am merely trying to take all possibilities into account in this investigation-’

‘Sirs!’, a voice interrupted Obi-Wan and the four men turned around. 

The door had swung open to reveal Kix who was panting with exertion. 

‘I- General Kenobi, General Skywalker, Commander, Captain, sirs’, Kix began, breathing heavily. ‘I-I’m supposed to relay a message but only to General Skywalker and Captain Rex.’

Cody and Obi-Wan exchanged a look. 

‘Cody, would you join me on a short walk?’, Obi-Wan asked. ‘I need some fresh air.’

‘On Coruscant?’, Cody quipped. Obi-Wan smiled serenely but Cody could tell he was amused by the twitching of his lips. 

The two headed out of the briefing room. 

‘What do you suppose that was?’, Obi-Wan asked as Cody followed him outside of the GAR headquarters. 

‘I don’t know’, Cody said truthfully. Obi-Wan nodded. 

‘Do you have any ideas where Fives might have fled to?’, he asked. 

Cody shook his head. 

‘I- Rex knows Fives better than I do… if he can’t find him, no one can. I- maybe Echo could have, but… well, he’s gone, of course.’

Obi-Wan nodded tiredly. 

‘I suppose we can only wait until there’s a new lead’, he mused, staring out at the horizon that was just barely visible through the enormous skyscrapers. 

Slowly but surely the sun was setting, bathing Coruscant in a golden light. Cody couldn’t help but notice how beautifully the burnt orange of the sunset complimented the copper of the other’s hair, how Obi-Wan’s bright eyes were shining vibrantly, brighter than any neon sign in the illuminated city. 

Cody wasn’t stupid. He knew that what he was feeling was adoration and infatuation. Although he supposed infatuation wasn’t the right word… it felt too… fleeting to describe his feelings. 

‘Cody?’, Obi-Wan asked and Cody realised he’d been staring at the other’s hair for minutes now. 

‘Hm? Oh. Yes’, he said, shaking his head and stammering a bit. Obi-Wan only smiled sweetly. 

‘I asked whether you would like some tea’, he repeated. Cody blinked. 

‘Yes, but how? Do you just carry tea around?’

The smile on Obi-Wan’s face deepened into a self-satisfied smirk.

‘These long sleeves have to be good for something, don’t you think, my dear?’, he said, putting a hand into his sleeve and pulling out a packet of tea leaves. 

‘We should be able to find some hot water’, Obi-Wan mused. 

* * *

In fact, they’d only just sat down and finished their tea together when Obi-Wan’s comm beeped. 

‘Kenobi’, he said. ‘What happened?’

‘Master!’, Skywalker’s voice came through a bit tinny. 

‘Anakin, what happened?’

‘Fives, he- he’s dead. He- he sent a message to us through Kix, he wanted to talk to us… he did, but he didn’t make any sense and then… the clones killed him’, Skywalker explained. Cody opened his mouth to say something when his own comm beeped. 

‘Cody’, he said. 

_ ‘Ori’vod’,  _ Rex answered. ‘Fives, he- he’s-’

‘He died, I know, vod’ika’, Cody said gently. 

‘But there’s more’, Rex said and Cody could hear the tense edge to his tone. ‘He-he said something… he didn’t really make sense, but he talked about the mission in our dreams… the never-ending nightmare… he said that… the chips had something to do with it… he removed it because he thought it… controlled him to do something. Him and Tup.’

‘Do you think he’s right?’, Cody asked. 

‘I don’t know’, Rex said, clearly torn and shaken. ‘It would be… detrimental if someone could… do that…’

Cody only hummed in agreement. 

‘What are you planning on doing?’

Rex sighed.

‘I will file a report, but it will be dismissed immediately’, Rex said mournfully. ‘Just, promise me that if you see something related to this, something that might explain it, tell me.’

‘I promise,  _ Rex’ika’,  _ Cody said gently. 

It was a testament to how shaken Rex was that he didn’t even take the time to be exasperated about the nickname. 

‘Thank you,  _ vod’, _ Rex said, tiredly. ‘Rex out.’

Cody stared at his comm for a while before turning to Obi-Wan who was looking at him thoughtfully over the rim of his teapot. 

‘I do rather think we ought to… continue investigating this’, Obi-Wan said, running a hand over his beard. ‘There is a disturbance in the force and this seems to be at the epicenter.’

‘Sir?’

Obi-Wan smiled conspiratorially. 

‘Quietly, of course’, Obi-Wan added. ‘If there is a way that these chips can be corrupted to harm you, I will find a way to stop it.’

‘Thank you, si- Obi-Wan’, Cody answered. 

‘Of course, my dear. Now, let’s keep an eye on this… just in case.’

‘Yes, sir!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:   
> Osi’kyr = Oh shit   
> Vode = siblings (used to refer to the clones)   
> Shab = fuck   
> Ori’vod = Older brother/sister/sibling, special friend
> 
> thanks so much for reading!! let me know what you thought!   
> As always, feel free to talk to me, my tumblr is @mandalourian


	6. Obi-Wan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall!! guess who's finally fucken finished with exams?  
> anyway, im sorry this took me a while longer, but ill try to get out around two chapters per week from now on!!! i hope you enjoy today's chapter even though it's a bit on the shorter side

_‘You may write me down in history_

_With your bitter, twisted lies,_

_You may trod me in the very dirt_

_But still, like dust, I'll rise.’_

_\- ‘Still I Rise’,_

_Maya Angelou_

When Master Plo Koon found Sifo Dyas’s lightsaber, something in the Force shifted. Initially, Obi-Wan thought that it was just the fact that they finally had a lead on the man who had commissioned the clone army, but when Dooku found Anakin and him on Oba Diah he realised that something larger was going on. It was… disconcerting to say the least when the council made their decision to cover up the discovery. 

‘Designed by the Dark Lord of the Sith, this web is. For now, play his game we must’, Yoda said. Obi-Wan frowned. 

‘Should we not… investigate, Master?’, he asked. 

‘What do you hope to achieve, Master Kenobi?’, Mace said tiredly. ‘The shroud of the Dark Side is growing more and more opaque with every passing moment.’

Obi-Wan felt the now familiar frustration with the state of the Jedi Council well up in him. 

‘But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t investigate this. There is a very real possibility that there is some nefarious plot involving the _vode_ in place here. I, for one, am not willing to abandon our soldiers. These people were made for the Jedi and they are in our care. If we do not look out for them, no one will’, Obi-Wan insisted, growing steadily more frustrated with every tired smile from the rest of the council. 

‘Spread thin, we are’, Master Yoda answered. ‘No lead, there is.’

‘Is that a reason to give up? Leave our soldiers in potential jeopardy?’

‘Young, you are, Master Kenobi. Around this matter the Force, shrouded it is’, Yoda continued. ‘No official investigation possible is.’

Obi-Wan stared at the old master, a sense of disappointment settling in his gut. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing his feelings into the force. 

‘Master Yoda, if the council will not investigate it, then I will’, he said with all the strength he could muster. He was staunchly reminded of Qui-Gon’s many refusals of council rule. Obi-Wan didn’t know how exactly he felt about that. 

Master Yoda shook his head with a sigh. 

‘Wary of attachment, you must be, Master Kenobi’, the old Jedi said. ‘Investigate this, if you must.’

‘This isn’t attachment’, Obi-Wan said steadily. ‘Merely care for those in my charge.’

‘And you must ensure it remains that way’, Mace said sternly. 

A small voice in Obi-Wan’s head protested, but he took a deep breath and resolved to meditate on the matter. 

‘So I may investigate this further?’

Yoda nodded. Mace shot the old master a glance and then turned back to Obi-Wan 

‘Only consult those who absolutely must know about this.’

Obi-Wan nodded. 

* * *

It wasn’t until he returned to his quarters on the _Negotiator_ that Obi-Wan had the time to think about what his investigation would entail. With a sigh, he sat down on the small carpet Cody had gotten from one of the old storages of the GAR supply complex on Coruscant since he believed meditating on the cold floor was uncomfortable. Obi-Wan had tried to insist that comfort wasn’t a factor in meditation, but Cody had only raised his eyebrow and placed the carpet down anyway. 

Smiling, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and began to mediate, feeling the constant stream of the force flowing through him with a comforting warmth. Concentrating on the events of the day, Obi-Wan searched his feelings, wafting through the confusion and the frustration at the council’s inaction. 

_Qui-Gon would have understood,_ he thought. _He would have been on my side._

_If he hadn’t abandoned you,_ the part of Obi-Wan that was the closest to falling to the dark side interjected. 

_He did not abandon me,_ Obi-Wan thought, assuring himself and struggling to let go of age-old hurt. His feelings towards his dead master were… complicated to say the least. He missed the older man, missed him more than he should for a Jedi who should rejoice in his master joining with the Force. He was also hurt by the fact that Qui-Gon had so readily given him up to train Anakin. Obi-Wan did not hold it against Anakin, he loved him like he was his own brother, but there was some uncleared hurt towards Qui-Gon. He was so focussed on releasing his feelings, one by one, that he only slowly realised that something in the Force was calling to him. 

It felt… strange. Some form of warning? It felt alerting, but he couldn’t really place his finger on it… it felt like some form of invitation to… investigate and suddenly Obi-Wan realised that the feeling was specifically strong around the area towards where his door was. He frowned when suddenly a knock resounded through his small quarters. 

Obi-Wan breathed in deeply, trying to sense whoever was outside of the room. It felt like… someone bright… warm… a sense of familiarity washed over Obi-Wan. The person felt right, like coming home. Instinctively he knew that it was Cody on the other side of the door. He let out his breath. Without opening his eyes, he called for Cody to come in. 

‘Sir’, Cody said and Obi-Wan could sense him walking in. The force was still swirling and underneath layers of warmth and familiarity that were so dear to Obi-Wan because they were so clearly Cody, something… simmered. It was so covered in honest warmth and affection that Obi-Wan felt wafting off of Cody that he couldn’t exactly place it, but he knew that it was severely unsettling. 

‘If I’m disturbing-’

Obi-Wan frowned, breathing in deeply once more and opening his eyes. 

‘It’s fine, my dear’, he assured, trying his best to grasp whatever was lurking in the force but to no avail. 

‘I just heard you’d returned’, Cody said awkwardly from where he was standing in the hallway. ‘Wanted to check- if you need medical. Sir.’

‘Cody, we’re in private’, Obi-Wan chastised gently. 

‘Oh. Right. Sorry, Obi-Wan.’

‘All is forgiven, my dear. Now, would you like some tea?’

Cody nodded thankfully. 

‘Come along, then’, Obi-Wan said and guided Cody towards the kitchen, seeing him sit down in the usual place. The familiarity of the display made Obi-Wan’s heart ache. He ignored the voices of Mace and Yoda in his head, chastising him for his supposed attachment. 

‘Thank you’, Cody mumbled when Obi-Wan set down the steaming mug of tea in front of him. The Jedi only smiled brightly in return. 

‘How was the mission?’

Obi-Wan sighed. 

‘Well, it was… certainly an experience. Fighting Dooku is always quite a challenge’, he huffed. 

‘You fought Dooku?’, Cody exclaimed. ‘Have you had a med scan?’

Obi-Wan smiled. 

‘I’m fine, dear. Don’t worry.’

Cody stared at him and Obi-Wan didn’t have to be Jedi to sense that the other didn’t believe him. 

‘Actually’, Obi-Wan said before Cody could start asking questions. ‘I have… a bit of a proposition- or rather a question.’

Cody nodded. 

‘Good. Anything I am about to say cannot leave this room. This is classified information that only the Jedi Council is privy to.’

‘Understood. I will not speak of this to anyone.’

Obi-Wan smiled. 

‘Thank you. Now, the issue at hand is that the finding of Master Sifo-Dyas’s lightsaber has unearthed certain… truths. Truths that are part of some larger web that we are unable to decipher.’

‘Did you find more about the _vode’s_ commission?’, Cody asked. 

‘In a sense- Cody, what I’m about to say is strictly confidential. And I wish it wasn’t the truth.’

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. 

‘It seems that… the one who orchestrated the commission was a Lord Tyrannus… we tracked down one of Sifo-Dyas’s companions to the Pykes and… the reality is that… Cody, Lord Tyranus is Count Dooku.’

Cody stared at Obi-Wan in complete and utter shock. 

_‘Shab’,_ Cody said, completely baffled. ‘What the- kriff. Why- why would Dooku- what game is he playing?’

Obi-Wan shook his head tiredly. 

‘I don’t know… the council didn’t… they did not want to continue investigating but i can’t- I can’t just sit idly by while our soldiers… the people under my care are in potential danger. We don’t- we don’t know if the Kaminoans are secretly involved… there is no way of knowing how deep this conspiracy runs… there are no real leads and no real way of getting to the truth short of breaking in somewhere. But, I have to investigate… and this is no order, Cody, but would you help me in my investigation? I- well, I’ve found that I work best with you by my side… and I value your insight.’

Cody smiled slightly. It made something in Obi-Wan’s heart clench. 

‘Of course I will help’, Cody said with all the gravitas he usually reserved for rousing speeches before nearly hopeless battles. 

Obi-Wan led out a breath of relief. 

‘Thank you, my dear.’

Cody nodded, a small smile still gracing his lips. 

‘So. Where do we start?’ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:  
> vode = siblings (here used to refer to the clones)  
> shab = fuck
> 
> thanks so much for reading!! let me know what you thought  
> as always, my tumblr is @mandalourian, feel free to send me a message if you want to talk to me!!


	7. Cody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone!! i hope you enjoy what i affectionately call self-indulgence: the chapter.

_ ‘Kiss me like the world depends on it. _

_ Kiss me like your heart might break. _

_ Kiss me like it'll start a riot. _

_ Kiss me like the ground might shake.’ _

_ \- ‘Kiss me’ , _

_ Shyanna Ashcraft _

For a while, the two men sat in silence. Cody couldn’t think of anything to say, so he waited for Obi-Wan to continue. 

‘I… I don’t know’, Obi-Wan said finally. ‘Like I said… there’s no lead. Nothing.’

Cody cocked his head to the side. 

‘Isn’t there?’

‘What do you mean?’

Cody shrugged. 

‘I just mean that if we’re investigating something to do with the creation of the  _ vode,  _ there  _ was  _ another incident not too long ago’, Cody said. ‘Fives.’

Obi-Wan’s face cleared. 

‘Cody, my dear, you’re a genius!’

Cody tried his very best to not blush, only to fail pitifully. He couldn’t handle the full force of Obi-Wan’s smile mixed with such open admiration. It was nearly impossible to deal with. It felt like there was a wild animal running around in Cody’s chest. His heart was beating faster than usual, his cheeks were flushed and his breath was coming a bit shorter than he liked to admit. 

‘’m really not’, Cody mumbled. 

Obi-Wan shook his head enthusiastically. 

‘You are. This is a perfect start. Fives visited 79’s before he met with Anakin and Rex, didn’t he? We could start by going undercover there. Maybe there’s… a trail there.’

‘I don’t know how much help that would be, I think he only talked to Kix there’, Cody said, sceptically. ‘Besides. Both our faces are… well known to the  _ vode… _ I don’t think blending in would be very… easy.’

Obi-Wan grinned and Cody gulped. It wasn’t just any grin. This was the grin his general got when he had a fantastic, albeit incredibly terrifying plan on the battlefield. Cody didn’t want to think about the implications for this specific situation. 

‘My dear, you’re forgetting that we have the entire arsenal of Jedi disguising techniques right on our doorstep. It’s easy to simply… cover your scar. I’ll have to be a bit more creative-’

‘You’re not shaving your hair’, Cody interrupted. Obi-Wan blinked and Cody flushed red. 

‘I-I mean because that would be… suspicious, sir. Not like the last time. Yes. We don’t want to draw any attention to this’, Cody stammered. 

Obi-Wan smiled warmly. 

‘And here I thought you liked my hair too much to have it shaven off. Alas, you’re right, of course.’

‘It- it’s not that I- I do like your hair, it’s very- it’s very you, very prett- I mean, yes. Discretion is key.’

Cody wanted to find the nearest escape pod and hurl himself into the underbelly of Coruscant, but he swallowed his embarrassment and took a deep breath.

‘How can you disguise yourself?’, he asked. 

Obi-Wan hummed. 

‘Well, we can disguise you easily, even though covering the scar will take away some of your gravitas, my dear. In my case… I might have to resort to dressing somewhat different than your average Jedi. I’ll contact the temple, have them send me some clothes that are appropriate for the setting. Maybe a long wig, to throw people off.’

Cody raised one eyebrow. 

‘This is never gonna work’, he commented drily. 

‘Oh I think you might find it could, my dear. And even if not, I  _ do  _ believe it would be quite a fun evening’, Obi-Wan said, a smirk on his face. It somehow made Cody’s knees feel wobbly. 

* * *

_ This was a terrible idea, _ Cody thought as he peeked out from behind the cargo crates just outside of the 79’s. He could see hundreds of  _ vode  _ inside, with a few lingering outside. Loud techno music was filling the air alongside the chattering of identical voices that sounded nothing like each other. 

_ Where is he,  _ Cody thought, nervously. Obi-Wan had instructed him to go and wait for him outside of the bar, but either the Jedi had disguised himself too well, or he wasn’t here yet. Cody breathed in deeply, stopping himself from touching his forehead, just where his scar usually cut through the skin. The Jedi temple’s disguise kit had very easily created a tissue that could be placed over it with the help of a mirror. It was incredibly strange to see himself without the scar. He’d had it as long as he could think. It had always set him apart from his siblings and seeing his face without the scar was… unsettling. He looked much younger without it. 

‘Hello there, handsome’, a voice behind him said and Cody whirled around at the familiar lilt. His heart almost stopped. 

Obi-Wan was standing in front of him. Or at least, Cody thought he was unless he was having some weird fever dream conjured up by the depths of his mind that he never allowed any power because if he did he’d stare at his general’s lips instead of listening to him during briefings. 

And  _ shab, _ his  _ lips. _ Cody didn’t know what the Jedi had done, but they were incredibly shiny and redder than usual. There were glasses resting on Obi-Wan’s nose, thin and elegant and wire-framed. The Jedi’s eyes were lined with dark black kohl, smudged slightly. He’d done something to his hair and his beard. They were brown now, more unassuming than the usual luscious copper locks. But that wasn’t what caught Cody’s attention. No, what fascinated Cody was the long, brown hair tied up into a high messy bun with multiple strands falling into Obi-Wan’s face and clinging to the arch of Obi-Wan’s neck. Cody felt his mouth go dry as Obi-Wan used an elegant finger to push a fallen strand behind his ear. Cody wanted to kiss him so badly it hurt.

‘Well, how do I look?’, Obi-Wan asked and Cody realised that he had been so distracted by Obi-Wan’s face that he completely missed the rest of the outfit, which nearly gave him a heart attack. 

In place of the usual wide Jedi robes and pieces of armour, Obi-Wan was wearing a deep cut black shirt, with a dark blue jacket adorned with stitched flower petals just hanging off of his shoulders. Cody didn’t know why exactly Obi-Wan had chosen not to use the jacket for its intended purposes, but he found he didn’t really care because he was too busy staring at the tight black jeans his commander was wearing over shiny, black, tall boots.  _ He’s wearing jeans,  _ Cody thought almost hysterically.  _ And  _ those  _ jeans in particular.  _

Cody realised that Obi-Wan was still looking at him expectantly. 

‘Y-you look great- fantastic. Very- un-Jedi’, Cody stammered, surprised he could even form words. 

‘Thank you, my dear’, Obi-Wan said. ‘You look quite dashing yourself.’

Cody looked down at his civilian gear, fidgeting in the simple grey button up and black slacks. 

‘S-sure. Thank you O- Ben.’

Obi-Wan smiled brightly. 

‘Shall we?’

* * *

Like Cody expected, they didn’t find much inside. They visited the bathroom, going off of Kix’s descriptions, but there weren’t any clues. 

‘I don’t want to say I told you so’, Cody said, walking out and into the dingy light of the main room where  _ vode  _ and other patrons were mingling and singing and dancing. 

‘No need, dear. It was a moot point, anyway’, Obi-Wan said, a bit disappointedly. 

‘You were right on the fun part’, Cody said, trying to cheer up Obi-Wan. 

‘Was I?’

‘Well, dressing up is fun. And I haven’t been in here without being stared at since… well, ever, really’, Cody explained wistfully, leading Obi-Wan towards the side of the dance floor. 

‘I- that does make sense. You’ve been very capable from the beginning-’

‘And the scar makes it… obvious. Wolffe has the same problem now.’

Obi-Wan nodded. Cody opened his mouth to say something. 

‘Speak of the devil’, Obi-Wan cursed. ‘Wolffe is over there… with Rex and-  _ shab,  _ that’s Anakin.’

‘What, where?’, Cody asked. 

‘In the corner. They’re looking. I’m masking our presence in the Force as best I can but I haven’t been… consistent. I didn’t think I had to be. Anakin is- looking.’

_ ‘Osik’, _ Cody cursed. He was about to continue, when Obi-Wan suddenly pulled him towards the wall, pressing Cody up against it firmly. All rational thought left his mind. 

‘Wha-’

‘Kiss me’, Obi-Wan whispered. ‘I don’t want to do this without consent, but they’d look away. And Anakin still thinks I have no attachments. They can’t know. Top secret.’

Cody stared for a second and then nodded mutely. There was no way in the galaxy he would be able to form words. 

Obi-Wan nodded and suddenly, Cody was being kissed within an inch of his life, pressed up against the dingy wall of the 79’s, feeling Obi-Wan’s lips slide along his. Cody had no idea what he was supposed to be doing but his body naturally melted into Obi-Wan’s, Cody’s hands coming to wrap around the Jedi’s back as they kissed, curling into the fabric of his jacket tightly. He let out a tiny whimper, which only seemed to spur on Obi-Wan as the Jedi pressed even closer, his quickened breath rushing over Cody’s face and his overwhelming smell filling all of Cody’s senses. He couldn’t really think, couldn’t do anything but kiss back clumsily, sliding his lips against the other’s, adrenaline and euphoria coursing through his veins as he felt Obi-Wan cradle his face with one hand and use the other to pull him impossibly closer. 

When Obi-Wan pulled back Cody wanted to scream, but the Jedi moved towards his neck, placing a kiss underneath his chin and Cody nearly melted on the spot. 

‘Are they still looking?’, Obi-Wan whispered into his skin and it took Cody a good minute of soft kisses on his neck to realise what exactly Obi-Wan meant. Reluctantly, he snuck a peek towards the general direction that Obi-Wan had indicated earlier. 

He could see Rex talking animatedly with Skywalker, Wolffe watching the far corner on the other side of the bar. They had all turned away. 

‘No’, Cody said, reluctantly. 

‘Good’, Obi-Wan whispered. ‘I’ll take your hand and pull you away from here like we have somewhere to be. We need to leave before anyone spots us.’

‘Y-yes, s- Ben’, Cody whispered, trying his best not to let the obvious disappointment bleed through in his voice. 

Obi-Wan pulled back a bit and Cody could see the flush that had spread to his ears. His lips were still impossibly red and he could taste whatever made them so damn shiny and red on his own lips. 

Obi-Wan leaned in to press a second, calmer, softer kiss on his lips, a kiss that Cody chased after pitifully. 

‘L-let’s go’, Obi-Wan whispered. 

‘O-okay’, Cody answered and let himself be dragged out of the bar by his hand, his knees only holding him up very shakily. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:  
> vode = siblings (here used to refer to the clones)  
> shab = fuck  
> osik = shit
> 
> thanks so much for reading! let me know what you thought!!  
> i won't lie to you. i didn't really write this for big plot reasons. i did a have a confusing undercover kiss planned because *slow burn potential* but i really didn't have to go this heavy on the obi-wan thirsting. that being said im completely and entirely incapable of n o t excessively describing how beautiful this man is, so this really is out of my hands. like i texted some of my friends: i have the power to dress up obi-wan as emo howl and i'll bloody well use it.   
> as always, my tumblr is @mandalourian if you wanna talk to me!


	8. Obi-Wan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!! i hope you enjoy today's chapter!

_‘What freeman knoweth freedom? Never he_

_Whose father’s father through long lives have reigned_

_O’er kingdoms which mere heritage attained._

_Though from his youth to age he roam as free_

_As winds, he dreams not freedom’s ecstasy._

_But he whose birth was in a nation chained_

_For centuries; where every breath was drained_

_From breasts of slaves which knew not there could be_

_Such thing as freedom, – he beholds the light_

_Burst, dazzling; though the glory blind his sight_

_He knows the joy. Fools laugh because he reels_

_And wields confusedly his infant will;_

_The wise man watching with a heart that feels_

_Says: ‘Cure for freedom’s harms is freedom still.’’_

_\- ‘Freedom’,_

_Helen Hunt Jackson._

Obi-Wan had no idea what had possessed him. He could almost feel the shocked and disapproving glances he would get from the Jedi council. 

_Attachments,_ he thought, turning over the word in his head again and again as he dragged Cody out of 79’s masking their presence in the force and feeling his lips tingle. He could still feel Cody’s lips against his, could still hear the desperate little noises that Cody had made when Obi-Wan had pressed him up against the wall. The kiss was ingrained in his mind with white-hot steel and as he held onto Cody’s hand tightly, he couldn’t help but replay every moment over and over again. 

‘Ben’, Cody whispered as they reached the outer ramparts of the platform in front of 79’s. 

_‘Kote’,_ Obi-Wan whispered back, relishing in the shudder than Cody gave at his Mando’a name. 

‘W-where are we going?’, Cody asked, catching himself. Obi-Wan turned around, trying to look like any person taking their lover home with them. He grinned flirtatiously, pulling Cody closer by his hand until their noses were only inches apart. 

‘To my speeder bike’, Obi-Wan whispered. Then, he leaned forward and let his lips brush Cody’s ear, mentally reprimanding himself for how much he was indulging. 

‘We need to look like we’re off to have a good time. Something… doesn’t feel right’, Obi-Wan whispered. It was true. Below all the panicking he was doing because _Force, Cody knew how to kiss and how to reduce him into a puddle,_ there was a sense of… apprehension, even danger in the Force, especially surrounding the _vode._

Cody choked and Obi-Wan felt him hold his breath. The Jedi was focussed on masking their Force signatures from Anakin, but even through that, he could feel Cody’s… emotional turmoil. He was projecting it quite loudly. Obi-Wan could relate; his usually calm inner world was in upheaval, replaying the whimper Cody had made over and over again. 

With a sigh, Obi-Wan drew back, taking a quick moment to stare at Cody. The other looked absolutely _exquisite._ Flushed red cheeks, a tentative smile, deep brown eyes that Obi-Wan could get lost in if he didn’t catch himself early enough, soft tan skin that was now marred by tiny marks down Cody’s neck. Obi-Wan felt a surge of electricity course through him at the thought that he was the reason for the marks on Cody’s neck. His gaze trailed lower, to the tight-fitting grey button up that Cody was wearing. Obi-Wan cursed the fact that he didn’t think of kissing down the bit of exposed chest that peeked out. _Now I’ll never have that chance,_ Obi-Wan lamented. Then, he immediately reprimanded himself. 

_Cody is your Commander. This was an undercover tactic to keep our cover from being blown. Stop thinking about it like it actually meant something. This is entirely inappropriate and you clearly made him uncomfortable with the way he’s reacting so emotionally,_ he thought. 

Shaking his head slightly, Obi-Wan pulled away and climbed onto his speeder bike, gesturing to Cody, who was staring at him strangely. 

‘What?’, Obi-Wan asked curiously. 

‘Nothing’, Cody answered, inclining his head. Obi-Wan could tell that it wasn’t nothing, but he didn’t pry. If Cody didn’t want to tell him or wasn’t ready, Obi-Wan was fully prepared to wait. 

‘Hold on tight’, Obi-Wan said as Cody climbed onto the speeder behind him. He also tried his best to ignore how strong the arms around his waist were and how good it felt to have Cody’s broad chest pressed against his back. His usual iron Jedi resolve wavered significantly around his commander now more than ever. Obi-Wan started the speeder bike and tried his best to ignore his mind reminding him of the many times he’d seen Cody rip apart droids with his arms, or on one memorable occasion, rip a droid’s head clean off with only his thighs. Obi-Wan wasn’t succeeding. 

‘Sir?’, Cody asked, after they had put enough space between themselves and the bar. 

‘Don’t say I told you so’, Obi-Wan said, dejectedly. 

‘I believe we already covered that, sir’, Cody said. Obi-Wan noticed the formality with a pang in his heart. 

_This is your own fault,_ he chided himself. _You just had to go and kiss him, didn’t you?_

‘And I believe we’ve progressed past the need for formalities’, Obi-Wan whispered. 

Cody cleared his throat and Obi-Wan could hear the surprise in his voice. 

‘I-I thought… you would feel more comfortable…’, he trailed off. Obi-Wan was so surprised that he turned his head to face Cody. 

_‘The road, Obi-Wan!’,_ Cody exclaimed. 

‘Jedi’, Obi-Wan answered. Cody rolled his eyes. 

‘Being a Jedi doesn’t mean recklessness, isn’t that what you constantly tell Skywalker?’, Cody grumbled, but Obi-Wan knew him well enough to hear the mirth and the warmth in his voice and to read the affection in his eyes. 

‘Maybe. But it isn’t reckless when I have everything under control’, he answered, grinning. ‘But no matter. You called me Obi-Wan.’

‘Maybe so’, Cody answered, raising one eyebrow. 

‘Good’, Obi-Wan whispered and for just a second, he allowed himself to stare at Cody’s lips.

‘I hope so’, Cody answered, and Obi-Wan looked up to see that Cody was staring at him intensely. There was something completely unique about Cody’s eyes and their uncanny ability to strip away all of Obi-Wan’s defenses, to see right to the core of Obi-Wan’s being. It was exhilarating to be looked at so intently. 

Before Obi-Wan could do anything stupid like try and kiss Cody in midair on a speederbike without a driver, he sensed a nearing object and whipped his head forwards, elegantly swerving to avoid a speeder that seemed to belong to a tourist not attuned to the breakneck speed of Coruscant traffic. 

‘Reckless’, Cody whispered into Obi-Wan’s ear and the answering smile was one of the most genuine expressions of joy that Obi-Wan had ever shown. 

* * *

Obi-Wan didn’t stop smiling stupidly when they arrived back at the temple, using one of the inconspicuous back entrances that Obi-Wan knew Anakin used to sneak out to Padmé’s apartment more often than not. 

‘So that was fruitless’, he commented, still smiling softly, as he led Cody to his chambers through unused corridors, trying to avoid people to the best of their abilities. 

‘I think we’d best leave undercover missions to more trained personnel’, Cody commented drily. 

‘I suppose’, Obi-Wan answered. ‘But I have carried out successful undercover missions in the past-’

‘I’m aware’, Cody said, his tone becoming more serious. Obi-Wan wanted to smack himself. The whole Rako Hardeen situation was a sore spot and he didn’t need to remind Cody of it. 

‘I-I’m sorry-’, he started, but Cody shook his head. 

‘I- you’ve already apologised. And I forgave you long ago.’

Obi-Wan was quiet for a while. The light, fragile happiness from earlier was gone, buried underneath his guilt for the hurt he had caused not only Cody but Anakin, Ahsoka and all of the people in his battalion. 

‘I am sorry. Still’, he finally said. ‘I regret- not having told you. I should have.’

‘What’s done is done’, Cody said, turning towards Obi-Wan with the hint of a smile on his face. ‘I- I believe that if you were in a similar situation again, you would tell me.’

‘I would’, Obi-Wan heard himself answer, without even meaning to. It was true. He would never put Cody, or Anakin for that matter through such a thing again, damn the consequences. He didn’t want to betray their trust again. 

‘Thank you.’

The two men remained quiet for the rest of the way towards Obi-Wan’s quarters. 

‘Come in’, Obi-Wan beckoned, as he opened the door. ‘I’ll change. There’s tea, if you would like some.’

* * *

When Obi-Wan returned to the kitchen, having changed into his comfortable beige Jedi tunic again, forgoing the robes, he found Cody stewing tea. He could tell by the smell that it was the jasmine white tea blend that Obi-Wan loved so much and his heart clenched softly at the domestic sight of Cody out of his blacks, making him tea in his kitchen. 

‘Hello there’, Obi-Wan said warmly. Cody looked up with a lopsided smile. 

‘You’re back to copper then?’

‘Yes, brown isn’t entirely my colour.’

Cody snorted and stared pointedly at Obi-Wan’s pants. 

‘Everything’s your colour’, he grumbled. ‘Tea.’

Obi-Wan tried his best not to blush and accepted the tea with a warm smile.

They both sat down at the table, thoughtfully drinking their tea. 

‘How do we proceed?’, Cody asked, finally. 

‘I don’t know’, Obi-Wan answered truthfully. ‘I had hoped we would find something… anything at the bar- but no. Nothing. If only we could talk to Fives.’

Cody stared at him for a while. 

‘Maybe we can’, he finally muttered. 

‘I don’t think necromancy is an option-’

‘Maybe we can’t talk to Fives. But we can try to follow his example. Maybe that’ll lead us to some clues.’

Obi-Wan inclined his head in confusion. 

‘The chip.’

‘But Fives removed his and it was returned to the Chancellor and the Kaminonans. There is no way to research it’, Obi-Wan answered. He was still confused but the mad glint in Cody’s eyes told him that there was more to the other’s idea that he hadn’t understood yet. 

‘We don’t need Fives’s chip. We just need _a_ chip.’

Comprehension surged through Obi-Wan like lightning. 

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

Obi-Wan stared at Cody in amazement.

‘Why not? Because it’s a terrible idea. We have no idea what the chip does. There is a possibility that Fives only thought he was telling the truth because the surgery seriously affected him. It’s too dangerous.’

Cody frowned. 

‘It’s my life against the lives of all of my siblings. Of the Jedi. The Republic itself. It’s no choice.’

‘It should be. Cody, you are a sentient being. You-’

Cody sighed. 

‘Would you not do the same if you were in my position?’, he asked. Obi-Wan opened his mouth to answer, but he found that he couldn’t say anything. 

‘That’s what I thought’, Cody said tiredly. 

‘Only with the temple healers’, Obi-Wan insisted immediately. ‘I won’t let you go through with this without the best healers in the galaxy present.’

‘Won’t that raise suspicions?’

Obi-Wan shook his head. 

‘I’ll talk to Master Che. I won’t mention all the details, only that we suspect your chip may be corroding. If I assure her it’s in the interest of a mission, she will not ask any questions.’

‘I could ask Helix or Kix-’

Obi-Wan shook his head. 

‘No’, he interjected tiredly. ‘Word travels fast among the _vode,_ you know that as well as anyone. Besides, while Helix and Kix are both phenomenal medics in their own rights, Master Che is highly accomplished in force healing. Which I hope we won’t need.’

‘Alright’, Cody said. 

‘Thank you’, Obi-Wan whispered. ‘I wouldn’t ask this of-’

‘You aren’t. This is my choice. My decision to do my part to save my siblings and the Jedi from whatever this is.’

Obi-Wan smiled softly. 

‘It’s very noble of you.’

‘It’s the right thing to do. The right choice to make’, Cody said thoughtfully. ‘I don’t really have a lot of opportunities to make my own decisions, but this one feels… important. Right. It’s- it’s a good feeling.’

Obi-Wan smiled as Cody stared off into nothingness with a surprised, wistful smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading! let me know what you thought!  
> i really enjoyed writing obi-wan's own thirsting after cody because we both love a man crazy enough to fucken dogpile grievous. what an icon cody is, truly. i adore him and im sure obi-wan agrees.  
> as always, my tumblr is @mandalourian


	9. Cody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there! sorry that it took a bit long to upload this week, it's been... one hell of a time, truly... I'll try to get out two chapters every week still, but sometimes it could just be one chapter per week, depending on how much work I have to do.   
> i hope you enjoy today's chapter!!

_ ‘Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho' _

_ We are not now that strength which in old days _

_ Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; _

_ One equal temper of heroic hearts, _

_ Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will _

_ To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.’ _

_ \- Ulysses’, _

_ Alfred, Lord Tennyson _

Sleep eluded Cody for quite a while after the mission to 79’s. Considering that it had been his first kiss in general and with  _ his  _ general of all people, he thought it was… understandable that he was distracted. 

_ Anyone would be if they’d just been pressed against a wall by the man of their dreams,  _ Cody thought, immediately flushing red at the thought. 

_ I did not just call him the man of my dreams,  _ he thought, groaning loudly.  _ Pathetic. _

It was at this moment that the door to his room slid open, revealing a drunk Rex carrying a drunk Bly. 

‘What the kriff’, Cody said, sitting up on his cot and trying his best to ignore the lingering warmth of Obi-Wan’s lips on his. _ It’s been hours,  _ he chastised himself. 

‘’S too drunk to be left alone’, Rex explained, slurring his words. ‘Whaddare you doing in my room,  _ ori’vod?’ _

‘Rex, these are the 212th’s barracks.’

‘M sure they aren’t.’

‘Rex what the  _ shab’, _ Cody grumbled. ‘I’m trying to sleep.’

‘I see thasss working well’, Rex giggled.

‘Would work a lot better if you weren’t here.’

Bly let out a little giggle. 

‘Why ssso grumpy, Codes?’, Bly asked. 

‘I bet we interrupted something. A dream, maybe?’, Rex teased and in the dim light of the room, Cody could just make out the shiteating grin on Rex’s face. 

‘With- _ hic, _ a special appearance by General Kenobi?’, Bly slurred. 

‘Shut the kriff up, Bly’, Cody grumbled. ‘You’re both not supposed to be here.’

‘If you didn’t want us to be here, we wouldn’t have been able to get in in the first place’, Rex said, depositing Bly on the floor next to Cody’s bed and then flopping down on the foot of Cody’s small cot. 

‘So you’re just gonna stay?’, Cody asked. 

‘Why not?’

Cody sighed. 

‘Fine.’

Silence settled over the room. Bly was spread out on the floor, staring at the ceiling with a stupid grin on his face. Rex was leaning against the wall and Cody just stared at his two drunk friends, trying his best to hide his fond smile. 

‘What were you guys doing anyway, you haven’t been this drunk in months?’, Cody asked.

‘Rex played a drinking game with ‘neral Skywalker’, Bly explained. ‘Wolffe got Fox drunk and-  _ hic  _ every time Fox complained about Palpatine they-  _ hic _ took a shot.’

‘That explains Rex’, Cody grumbled. ‘But you can barely walk.’

‘General Secura is on a solo mission’, Rex explained and Cody snorted, understanding immediately. 

‘Hey, yyyou have-  _ hic _ no room to tease me, Codes, you’re just as bad’, Bly giggled. 

‘I resent that remark.’

Bly chuckled, staring up at the ceiling with a lazy, drunk smile. 

‘D’ny it all you want, Codyboy. Y-you’re in luuuve’, Bly giggled and Cody could hear Rex snicker at the foot of his bed. With a groan, Cody grabbed one of his pillows and threw it at Bly. 

‘Shut up, both of you. If you absolutely need to stay at least let me sleep.’

‘Alright, alright, buddy, we’ll let you sleep’, Rex said and Cody could hear the mirth in his brother’s voice. 

‘And you can dream of your Jedi’, Bly mumbled. Cody contemplated throwing another pillow but then he’d have to sleep without one so he decided against it. 

_ ‘Ne'johaa’,  _ Cody grumbled and turned to the wall, smiling despite himself. 

* * *

When Cody woke up the next morning, Rex and Bly were still sleeping. Rex was snoring so loudly that Cody was sure the entire 212th could hear him. With a smile, Cody got up and carefully made his way to his small fresher, jumping on for a hot shower. It was as if the galaxy had decided that everyone was suddenly incredibly interested in Cody’s quarters since as soon as he’d gotten his pants on the door to his room slid open. 

Cody groaned, a towel still over his head, drying off the last few drops of water. 

‘I swear, whoever the  _ shab-’ _

‘Good morning, Cody’, a very familiar voice said and Cody froze, the towel slowly falling off of his face. 

‘S-sir’, he stammered as he saw Obi-Wan standing in the door frame with a badly suppressed smile and wide, mirth-filled eyes that scrutinized his appearance. If Cody didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought that the Jedi’s eyes got caught on the droplets of water running down Cody’s exposed chest. 

‘There really is no need to call me that, dear’, Obi-Wan said warmly, clearing his throat. ‘I do think your brothers are fast asleep and we’re in private.’

‘Y-yes, Obi-Wan.’

The Jedi smiled brightly and  _ shab, _ knowing how it felt to have those lips pressed against his made  _ not  _ staring at them nearly impossible. And it hadn’t exactly been easy before either. 

‘Much better. If you still wish to… continue what we discussed last night, we have another week of shore leave so the time would be right. You are welcome to decide against it, but if you do not, I will be waiting in my quarters for the next hour.’

‘Y-yes. I’ll join you in a moment’, Cody stammered. Obi-Wan nodded. 

‘Do take care of your brothers first, my dear. They seem to have had a wild night’, Obi-Wan commented and with a warm smile, he nodded and turned away, closing the door of Cody’s quarters behind him. 

Cody was holding onto the doorframe of the fresher tightly. He let out a deep breath, forcing his racing heart to calm down. Once again, he was thankful for the mandatory mental training the command batch had received. Without his mental wards Obi-Wan would’ve been faced with Cody’s complicated and all-consuming feelings for the Jedi and Cody wanted to do anything but that. 

‘You didn’t tell me you were fucking him’, Rex commented and Cody jumped a foot in the air, reaching for a blaster that wasn’t there. 

‘Rex, what the  _ fuck’, _ he whispered, dropping out of the defensive pose he had immediately assumed and turning towards his brother.

Rex blinked at him confusedly. 

‘You’re not? Dude, he stared at you so much it was uncomfortable to watch’, he said. ‘Also what the  _ shab  _ did he mean by  _ what we discussed last night?’ _

‘I-it’s classified.’

‘Bullshit. You’re fucking.’

‘Rex, I am not- I’m  _ not _ sleeping with my superior officer.’ 

‘But you would like to.’

‘Fuck off, Rex’, Cody said. ‘He’s a superior officer. I- I respect him. I might have certain… feelings but I’ll- we’ll- I can’t act on them. Ever. It’s unprofessional. Not to mention that it goes against the Code.’

Rex only raised an eyebrow. 

‘If you say so. That doesn’t erase the fact that he was totally checking you out.’

Cody scoffed. 

‘Right and my mother’s a bantha.’

‘Your mother is a petri dish,  _ vod. _ Anything is possible.’

Cody rolled his eyes. 

‘Whatever you say,  _ Rex’ika’, _ he grumbled. ‘Just… try to get Bly to not puke on my floor please. I have somewhere to be.’

‘Don’t call me that’, Rex said out of reflex. 

_ ‘Ori’vod _ privileges’, Cody quipped back. 

‘Go do  _ classified things  _ with your superior officer,  _ Marshal Commander’,  _ Rex groaned. Cody shook his head and flipped off his brother, walking over to grab one of his civilian shirts and a pack of headache medicine, which he dumped next to Rex. 

‘Take these. And drink some water’, he mumbled. Rex grumbled his thanks and climbed further into Cody’s bed, using the free space. 

With a fond eyeroll, Cody walked out of his room, heading towards the Jedi temple that was only a few hundred meters away from the 212th barracks. He knocked at Obi-Wan’s door and was immediately greeted by his general’s face. 

‘You came’, he said quietly. Cody could hear the worry in his voice. 

‘It’s our best bet, isn’t it? Besides, I said I would do it. So now I’m here.’

Obi-Wan nodded and wordlessly motioned for him to come in. When Cody rounded the corner into the familiar living room, he was surprised to see another Jedi sitting on the couch. She was a twi’lek with blue skin and blue eyes and a serene, calm smile on her face. Cody realised that she must be Master Che, the head of the temple’s halls of healing. 

‘Commander Cody’, she said in a smooth, calm voice. 

‘General Che, ma’am’, Cody answered, immediately standing at attention. 

‘Just Master will be fine, commander. At ease’, Che said. 

‘Ma’am.’

‘Master Kenobi tells me you need your chip removed as part of a classified mission?’, the twi’lek asked. 

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘And you are willing to proceed with this?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Out of your own free will?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

Che sighed. 

‘Very well then. If you’ll follow me, Master Kenobi insisted that I’d treat you in his quarters instead of the halls of healing’, she said, side-eying Obi-Wan, who smiled serenely, pretending not to notice anything. 

Cody raised an eyebrow as Master Che turned her back to them. Obi-Wan smiled lopsidedly and motioned to the door that Cody knew was his bedroom. Trying his best not to think of the implications, Cody followed the healer into the room where a simple single bed was pushed in the middle of the space with multiple medical instruments that Cody couldn’t name standing around the room. 

‘Lie down, commander’, Master Che said. Cody obeyed, settling down on Obi-Wan’s bed, trying his best to ignore the part of him that was meticulously cataloguing the room for his deepest fantasies that he usually suppressed expertly. 

‘I will give you a mild sedative. I’m afraid we’ll have to cut your hair to perform the procedure, though.’

‘That’s fine.’

Obi-Wan closed the bedroom door behind himself. 

‘I do have some hair growth accelerator left’, he commented, standing on the side of the bed that wasn’t occupied by Master Che. 

‘Alright. Do lay back, commander. I’ll give you the sedative and as soon as you’re unconscious I’ll remove the chip’, Master Che said. ‘Until then I’ll leave you be. Inform me when he’s passed out, Master Kenobi.’

Obi-Wan nodded and Master Che bent down, giving Cody the sedative and leaving the room. 

‘How do you feel?’, Obi-Wan asked when Master Che closed the door behind her. 

‘Normal’, Cody said. ‘A bit… fuzzy.’

Obi-Wan smiled, but Cody could tell that it was strained. 

‘It’ll work’, Cody continued. Obi-Wan laughed.

‘It should be me assuring you’, he mumbled. 

‘I don’t mind.’

Obi-Wan huffed and reached out, clasping both of his hands around Cody’s left one. 

‘I won’t leave until you wake up again’, he whispered, his quiet voice a prayer and a promise in the empty room. 

‘I know’, Cody answered. And he did. He was sure that above all else, his general, his  _ jetii _ would stay by his side if Cody needed him to. 

‘Good.’

Cody could feel himself slipping; the fuzziness was taking over his mind and slowly the only thing he could see was Obi-Wan looking at him with worry in his bright, beautiful blue eyes and the only thing he could feel was the warmth of Obi-Wan’s hands on his. 

_ ‘K'oyacyi, Kote’,  _ Obi-Wan whispered and Cody drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:  
> Ori’vod = Older brother, special friend.   
> Shab = Fuck   
> Ne'johaa = Shut up  
> Jetii = Jedi  
> K'oyacyi, Kote = Come back safely, Cody (lit: stay alive)
> 
> thanks so much for reading!!! let me know what you thought! i had a lot of fun writing rex and bly being annoying little brothers because i do love a good sibling dynamic (just ask my dnd group sfdsdf)  
> also the plot is finally thickening :eyes: ...maybe they'll uncover... something... soon :eyes:  
> as always, feel free to follow me on tumblr @mandalourian


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